


Dragons Love Princesses

by Eye_of_Stars



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Aftercare, Attempted Murder, Dad!Kabu, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Iris is a good friend, Leon tries to be a good wingman, Loss of Parent(s), Lots of cuddles, My First AO3 Post, My First Fanfic, Not Really Character Death, Outdoor Sex, Please Don't Hate Me, Shameless Smut, Slow Burn, Steven Stone/Reader if you squint, sex in a tent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:42:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 29,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21765493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eye_of_Stars/pseuds/Eye_of_Stars
Summary: Reader left Hoenn a long time ago. After Steven took the champion title from under her nose, and her dad leaving her and her sick mother to their own devices, she fled to Unova in hopes to build herself up, only to wind up injured. Eventually, she was endorsed by her now close friend Iris for the Galar Gym Challenge.In a sick twist of fate, she lands in Galar only to be met with the man who should be dead to her after 11 years, her father.  But what will happen when a certain Dragon Tamer catches eye and her heart?* Please forgive me if this is weird and long, it's my first fanfiction and I'd really appreciate feedback!*
Relationships: Raihan/Reader, Tsuwabuki Daigo | Steven Stone/Reader
Comments: 39
Kudos: 421





	1. Opening Ceremony

**Author's Note:**

> It's a slow build but I hope you enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (y/n) = Your name  
> Italics are thoughts

The deafening cheering of thousands of people rang in (y/n)’s ears. Electricity coursed through her veins as the voice of Chairman Rose echoed through Motostoke Stadium. She could hear the whispers and feel the eyes of the other challengers around her boring into her; she remained silent and stoic, adding to her aura. She was used to the stares; she was aware of how she came off to others. Her hair was pulled into a sleek high ponytail that tickled the back of her neck, with a brass ring enclosed around the elastic tying her hair up. Pronounced scars ran across most of her face, from just above her right eyebrow, down to the edge of her left cheekbone; a shorter second one ran parallel across her left eye. She looked threatening with her resting bitch face, but it would be a lie to say she didn’t enjoy the confidence that sometimes came from it. She was a strong trainer, but a kind and gentle soul.

“I am Rose, Chairman of the Pokemon League! I know that everyone gathered here, and everyone watching from home have all been waiting for this big moment!”

(y/n) could see the chairman’s face projected onto a giant screen through the tunnel she waited in.

“It is my pleasure to announce that finally--- the Galar region Gym Challenge will now begin!”

An uproar erupted from the stadium, making the stadium rumble as a result.

He went on to explain how the gym challenge worked, gathering badges by defeating the gym leaders, going on to face the “greatest Champion in history”. (y/n) laughed at that. It was a bold proclamation if she ever heard one.

(y/n) was a traveler, born and raised in Hoenn, moved to Unova, and somehow wound up in Galar after much pressure from her closest friend, who also happens to also be the one who endorsed her.

“Now, I would like to invite the Gym Leaders to show themselves!”

At that, the crowd absolutely lost their minds.

_Wow, these people really love their gym leaders. It’s not nearly this serious at home, or in Unova…_

Across the pitch, she could see the gym leaders emerge, but two stood out to her the most, the eldest man, and the tallest one. The Gym leaders certainly knew how to “walk-the walk”.

“The fighting farmer! Here’s the Grass-type expert, Milo!” A short, broad man with peach hair, a green bandana around his neck, and a large sun hat began to wave.

“The raging wave! It’s the master of Water types, Nessa!” She was beautiful, her two toned, blue hair complimented her complexion very well, and she walked with a grace that reminded her of Elesa, the electric type gym leader in Unova. She blew the crowd a kiss and the cheering intensified, if that was even possible by this point.

“The ever-burning man of fire! Here comes the Fire-type veteran, Kabu!”

(y/n) gasped slightly, eyes going wide for a moment. _Are you fucking kidding me?!_

An older man in a red uniform walked with determination and purpose, eyes never straying from his path. His hair was greying, but he was sturdy.

“The Galar karate prodigy! Nobody’s better with Fighting types than Bea!” A young girl walked with a very similar stoicism to the previous leader.

“The silent boy of mystery! Allister, friend to Ghost types!” A masked child trudged along, rather eerily. 

_He kind of looks like a Duskull…_

“The master of a fantastic theater! It’s the charming Fairy-type user, Opal” A much older lady hobbled along behind the others, using her umbrella as a cane of sorts. She looked very tired and worn by the years.

“The hard-rock crusher! Please welcome the Rock-type master, Gordie!” A larger man with yellow-tipped white hair looked up to the audience with a smirk and a two-finger salute, stirring the crowd.

“The ice-cold professional! Please welcome the Ice-type master, Melony!” A very pretty, voluptuous, middle aged woman beamed up at the crowd with a wave. Her long white hair flowing behind her She then rested a hand on Gordie’s shoulder while walking beside him towards the middle of the field.

“And last but not least, the tamer of dragons… Raihan, the top Gym Leader!” He was a character alright, and an attractive one at that. Waving to the crowd left and right, taking a selfie on his Rotom-phone, he towered over the other gym leaders. He must have been at least 6’10”. (y/n) recognized him from the exhibition match against the champion, Leon.

“Unfortunately, we’re missing one, but these are the Gym Leaders that we in the Galar region are proud to call our own!”

 _Missing one?! Are there really 11 gyms? Not this again, it’s just like Unova. (_ y/n) thought, but there was no time for that.

“And now for our Challengers!”

Challengers flooded the field to meet face-to-face with the region’s elite as their names and numbers flooded the jumbo screen. It all felt so surreal: the lights, the cheering, the Gym Leaders. It was overwhelming; exciting, but overwhelming, nonetheless.

“Challengers! It is from this moment on that history has its eyes on you. Aim for the top and reach new heights you never thought imaginable!”

(y/n) couldn’t stop staring at Kabu, who hardly noticed her.


	2. Post-Ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly filler tbh.

After the opening ceremony, (y/n) waited outside Motostoke Stadium, sitting on the short wall near the steam-powered lift, and pulled out her Rotom-phone, eager to locate her friend who got her into this mess.

She was glad to be out of that ridiculous uniform. It was getting cold out now that the sun had set, and she had worn a hoodie and jeans.

Suddenly, (y/n) was tackled to the ground. Her vision blurred before she finally recognized the brown skinned, violet haired girl.

“Yahoo!, I haven't seen you since I ran into you in Castelia City! I’m so so soooo glad you decided to come!”

Iris and (y/n) met in Nimbasa City, at the amusement park. It was an interesting start to an interesting friendship to say the least. Being so much older than Iris, the two often got weird looks, but she was the little sister (y/n) never had. Her bubbly energy was something that took getting used to but was welcome. For her age, Iris was a formidable opponent. Though, being the champion, that was to be expected.

(y/n) groaned in discomfort and then chuckled. “It’s good to see you too Iris.”

Iris jumped off her and helped her up, sheepishly looking at her friend’s now muddied clothes. “Sorry about that, I just got really excited to see you.” She chuckled.

“No harm, no foul” (y/n) said, dusting herself off, “But can I ask you something?” Iris gave her a puzzled look. “Why endorse me for this? It’s such a different environment from every other time I’ve challenged a gym; I don’t really know how I feel about it.”

Iris stood silently looking at her feet, contemplating a good answer.

“Know what? You’re very strong! You have a very interesting battle style and with you, I honestly never know if I’ll win or lose, and that’s something I admire. You and your pokemon have an incredibly strong bond.” Iris grinned “Also, it’s not just me who thought you should do this and endorsed you.”

(y/n) looked at her, rather confused.

_Not just her? Who else…?_

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard an all too familiar voice behind her.

“I was looking forward to crossing paths with you again one day.” (y/n) turned to see her childhood friend, and former rival, Steven Stone, smiling at her with a smug look on his face, arms crossed. “She’s right you know; your battle style is intriguing. You and your pokemon have obviously grown since we first met in Dewford all those years ago. I’m glad to see you well, and apparently in one piece.”

(y/n) stood with her mouth agape and she blinked a few times. “You two know each other?”

“It’s kind of a long story” Steven said. “We met at a Pokemon Masters League tournament a couple of years back, we joined a team together. The rest is history.” He shrugged, going to hug his old friend. 

(y/n) smiled at the two, unable to come up with words for her joy.

Iris just beamed right back at her before getting a glint in her eye and grabbing (y/n)’s hand.

“OH! I just thought about it, I should introduce you to my cousin! Leon is a great champion, just like me! I’m sure he’d LOVE to meet you!”

Before (y/n) had a chance to protest, she was being dragged back into Motostoke Stadium, watching Steven just standing there, waving and laughing at her dismay.


	3. The Gym Leaders

A man in a long red, fur lined, brand embroidered cape stood talking to Chairman Rose near the front desk of the stadium.

“LEON!” Iris shouted across the lobby and waved, catching the attention of the violet haired man mid-sentence. Once he saw her, his eyes lit up like Christmas day. Iris sprinted across the lobby and leapt up to hug him.

 _I’ll never understand how she has so much energy…_ (y/n) followed behind at a much more reasonable pace, trying to hold herself confidently, despite her discomfort.

“Well, well, look what the Liepard dragged in.” he laughed, putting his hands on his hips. “Long time no see, huh? I was just talking to the Chairman about you! I was surprised to hear you’d come all the way to Galar and endorsed a trainer! Is… is this her?” He stuttered in surprise once he got a good look at her.

(y/n) examined the man, whose attention had shifted to her, and smiled. He appeared to be about her age, fairly tall, and his hair was as long as Iris’s. The resemblance between the two was uncanny, the only real difference being eye color.

“Yup! This is (y/n)! She’s an excellent and kind trainer, who’s tougher than a Conkeldurr! She’s one of my best friends and strongest rivals. You better brace yourself, Lee.” Iris boasted.

He merely chuckled, “She definitely looks it! But we’ll see about that, but I’m sure we’ll have a champion time no matter what happens. Nice to meet you,” He stuck out his hand, which (y/n) gladly shook, “I’m Leon, the Galar region’s unbeatable Champion. I look forward to watching your Gym Challenge!”

“(y/n),” The Chairman spoke, “it truly is an honor to be endorsed by a champion. We are honored to have you join us.”

Before (y/n) could reply, out of nowhere, a tall, skinny, blond woman appeared and whispered something into the chairman’s ear. “Ah, Apologies. it was nice meeting you (y/n), but unfortunately, I need to cut this conversation short. I have some business that needs attending to. I look forward to seeing what a formidable opponent you are.” And with that, Chairman Rose left Motostoke Stadium.

“So, tell me (y/n), what is it about you that made, not only Champion Iris endorse you, but former Champion Steven Stone also?” He was studying (y/n) intently, as if he could figure her out if he stared long enough.

“Uh…” The question had caught her off guard. “They both find my battle style interesting; I think I’m just tactful and kind of a brute. I traveled with Steven for a long time when we were younger before I decided to head to Unova. He’s a good friend.”

“So, you’re from Hoenn then?”

“Yup.”

“Fancy that.”

He turned his attention back to Iris, “You know, all of the gym leaders are still out on the field since this is one of the only times everyone gets to see one another; why don’t I introduce the two of you?” a Cheshire grin on his face.

“You bet! That sounds like fun, don’t ya think, (y/n)?” Iris looked at her excited, and expectantly.

“Um, I guess…” the anxiety evident in (y/n)’s voice.

The hall was dimly lit, only the sound of footsteps on the cold ground met (y/n)’s ears. That and the sound of blood rushing though her ears from how hard her heart was pounding. Leon and Iris had walked ahead; they were talking about something or other, but (y/n) couldn’t have cared less about what was being said. She was about to come face to face with someone who may as well be a ghost to her.

Suddenly, one of the pokeballs on her belt began to shake and tug, catching her attention. She grabbed the pokeball in an attempt to console her pokemon but it leapt from her hand and began bouncing around the hallway, barely containing the lively, clearly excited, pokemon inside.

Leon and Iris turned around to see what the commotion was when suddenly, the pokeball burst open and out popped (y/n)’s beloved shiny Arcanine, Titan.

“Titan! What are you doing?! There’s a time and a place for everything, but this is definitely not it!” (y/n) screeched. Noticing the now obliterated pokeball, she grabbed a new one for her companion, a friend ball this time. (It looks cuter anyway) The pokemon paid her minimal attention before sniffing the air and running off towards the field. “TITAN! STOP!”

(y/n) ran after the pokemon, regardless of it really being no use. It’s not like she could catch him when he was in a light trot, much less a sprint.

_Oh, how I miss when his legs were short, and he was slow…_

Leon and Iris followed closely behind, laughing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time she got to the field, many of the gym leaders had looks of horror on their faces as the giant puppy before them lied on and licked viciously at their Fire-type cohort’s face.

“TITAN!” she tried to get his attention before getting an idea to get the 400 pounds of pokemon off the poor gym leader. “Titan, do you want a pokepuff?” reaching into her pouch and grabbing a swirly orange treat, decorated with a small orange slice on top. With the promise of a snack, Titan whipped his head around and his pupils dilated at the sight of the deluxe treat. He trotted over to his trainer and politely sat down in front of her, tail wagging and mouth open with his tongue flopping out. Genuinely an overgrown puppy. She launched it up into the air, and as he leapt into the air, she tossed the new pokeball at him, exasperated. “You better stay in there, buddy…” 

The other leaders helped Kabu to his feet, and (y/n) looked at the ground ashamed and embarrassed by her pokemon’s antics.

Meekly she asked, “Are you okay?”, not realizing who her pokemon had tackled, before beginning to ramble.

“I’m so sorry about Titan. I really don’t know what got into him, he listens to me 95% of the time.” She then looked up from the ground and her eyes went wide. Kabu was standing in front of her with a huge smile on his face, and tears welling in his eyes.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile like that in the time I’ve known you, Kabu. What’s gotten into you?” Opal said, a look that was a mixture of confusion, concern, and possibly slight fear. The other gym leaders had similar looks on their faces. Except for Melony, who had a very cheery smile on her face, looking at Kabu’s reaction to (y/n).

He said nothing, as if he didn’t hear the older woman standing right next to him, but his eyes were fixated on the young woman in front of him. He was positively beaming.

“It’s been a long time, little Torkoal.”

“Yeah… It’s been 11 years…” Tears began rolling down (y/n)’s face. The older man reached for her, pulling her into a tight embrace, tears unabashedly flowing down his face.

Everyone’s eyes flickered between the two trainers, moderately confused, trying to put whatever pieces they could together, until Melony piped up.

“Oh, I love a sweet family moment!” holding her hands to her heart before hugging Gordie, who became mildly annoyed at his mother’s action.

Kabu released from the hug but held (y/n)’s shoulders at arm’s length. “I’m so proud of you. You’ve grown into a powerful and beautiful young woman, and, I presume, an incredible trainer.”

“It’s good to see you too.”

Nessa cleared her throat, glancing at the other trainers, “Kabu? Would you mind giving a small introduction?”

“Of course! Apologies.” He turned back to his fellow gym leaders, stoic as ever, “This is (y/n), my daughter.”

“Oh, how wonderful!” Melony exclaimed. “At least _some_ of us appreciate family sentiment.” She shot a glare at Gordie, who ignored her pointed comment.

“(Y/N)! Why didn’t you tell me your dad was a gym leader? That’s super cool; I can see where you’d get your drive from.” Iris exclaimed.

(y/n) turned around to face her young friend. “Iris, had I known where my dad ended up, I would have told you. Like I said, it’s been 11 years and I haven’t exactly heard much. Besides, it’s not like it really makes that much of a difference in who I am.” (y/n) shrugged. “It is what it is.”

Kabu rejoined the other leaders, looking slightly hurt when Leon spoke up. “Iris here is my cousin, and champion of the Unova region. Being the best must run in the family” he laughed. “She, and Steven Stone, endorsed (y/n) for the gym challenge.”


	4. Raihan's interest

At that, Riahan perked up. An endorsement from two champions? She had to be something special. To him, she was absolutely beautiful; he couldn’t help but watch her, taking in every detail of her being. Her (h/c) hair complimented her skin tone beautifully, her body was something he wouldn’t mind worshipping any and every day of the week, her smile took his breath away and lit up the whole room. And those scars, those scars made her threatening and dynamic, she had a story to tell and if she was even half as strong as she was beautiful, a pokemon battle against her would be difficult to win at best. Getting to know her was now #2 on his priority list, right after defeating Leon of course.

He noticed she looked very uncomfortable being there though. Looking down rather than making eye contact with the gym leaders and arms folded over her chest. Who could blame her though? It was a lot being put on her all at once.

Everyone had begun to drift away from the large group discussion back into the smaller conversations they were having before being interrupted by Kabu’s tackle. Melony had Kabu’s attention, probably discussing being parents, now knowing she wasn’t the only gym leader with children and a family. Why Kabu wouldn’t have pulled y/n off to talk after all these years was beyond him. But that wasn’t his place. Nessa, Leon, Milo and Iris had formed a small circle. Nessa clearly interested in how someone so young had become champion. Allister was talking to Bea; being the youngest gym leaders, they often found solace in each other. Opal was talking at Gordie and himself; Gordie was politely paying attention trying to avoid upsetting the older woman, and Raihan was trying too but he couldn’t help but keep glancing over at y/n, clearly distracted. Frankly, Opal scared a lot of the gym leaders, himself included, and not just because she trained fairy-types; she always had good intentions, but there’s just something about her that gives people the chills. y/n was standing near Nessa, Leon, Milo and Iris, but not actively in the conversation, clearly having an internal debate about something. Raihan saw an opportunity. Politely excusing himself from the conversation with Opal, resulting in a strained pleading glare from Gordie, he made his way over to y/n.

As he was walking, he noticed his hands started to sweat, and he had a fluttering in his stomach. What was this feeling? He’s used to being around beautiful women, heck, he worked alongside Nessa! He was no stranger to flirting either. But Kabu was one of Raihan’s good friends and often he was his training partner. He was a mentor to him, and Raihan had to admit a lot of his determination, battle style, and skill came from his time spent with him. So maybe it had to do with them being related. It was well known that Raihan took selfies after he’d lost a battle to remind him of defeat, but it was Kabu’s idea initially to take photos after every battle, and even during.

~ _Flashback_ ~

Raihan had gone to Motostoke, after losing to Leon for, what seemed like, the 100th time. Defeated emotionally, he sent the older man a message, asking if they could talk. Kabu’s years of experience meant he had to have some quality advice for situations like this, and he knew the fire-type master was relentless with training. But when Raihan arrived at the stadium, Kabu was seated on the ground in the center of the field, eyes closed, meditating. Raihan warily approached the grey-haired man, having expected to be bombarded with either a workout or battle.

“All you’ll know is defeat if you keep treating yourself like you do, Raihan. Taking those photos only when you’ve lost... Don’t let the pain of defeat leave you, but don’t let it consume you either. You are a most impressive trainer, regardless of your battles with the champion, yet you always seem to forget that. You deserve memories of your victories, of your happiness, of things that bring you joy. It gives you something permanent to fight for; we all need something worth fighting for.”

“And what about you then; what do you fight for, Kabu?”

He opened his eyes and smirked, “My Torkoal.”

At the time, the statement wildly confused Raihan, but now, it made perfect sense.


	5. Wake Me Up When September Ends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of mother's death due to heart issues.

(y/n) felt like running. Large social situations were not really her scene, given the unconcealable scars, and now being expected to be social after seeing her dad for the first time since he left Hoenn, it was just too much. She clung to Iris’s side, not knowing where else to go, what to do, or what to say. There were far too many people to begin trying to catch up with her father, regardless of how much she may have wanted to; there was too much that he missed, too many important things. Tears welled up in (y/n)’s eyes, thinking about home, thinking about her mother.

~ _Flashback~_

It was a cold night in September, approaching on eight years ago; the leaves had just begun to change color. Living at the base of a volcano wasn’t exactly (y/n)’s idea of luxury, but Lavaridge was home. It had been lonely after her dad left, but approaching on three years without him, the new routine had begun to feel normal. And she hated it. She hated him. He just dropped everything and left her and her mother behind, without so much as giving (y/n) an explanation. She was 14 by now and her next stop on her journey was the elite four of Hoenn, but it was a bittersweet feeling. For the longest time, she trained in hopes she could show her dad how strong she’d become while he was away, but as the months passed, she realized he probably wasn’t coming home. At least not any time soon. So now she decided she’d train out of spite, and it was far more rewarding, despite her mother’s dismay.

“(y/n), you know he loves you right? I’m sure he thinks about us every day.” Her mother said, sitting on the couch, sewing patches onto the knees of a pair of jeans (y/n) had ripped.

“Yeah… sure he does.”

“(y/n)…”

“I know, I know… love you mom.”

“I love you too, sweetie.”

Her mother always told her that, or some variation, but it was beginning to feel like a reassurance for her mother than anything. It was hard to hear. Memories burned into her mind of the nights she’d wake up to hear her mother sobbing in the adjacent room, and of the times (y/n) would get out of bed just to sit with her and cry with her because it was the only thing they could do that would temporarily fill the void he left. Her mother’s health didn’t help her feel any better either. She was young, but she complained of chest pains often. (y/n) had tried convincing her to move from Lavaridge to Verdanturf, but she always refused, saying “it wasn’t that serious”.

There was a sudden, rapid knocking at the door. When (y/n) opened it, she was met with the face of her best friend, Steven Stone. He was practically bouncing.

“(Y/N)! GUESS WHAT!”

“Steven? It’s like 10:30. This better be good.”

She moved to let him inside. While he was her closest friend, he hardly ever came to see her in Lavaridge. Most of the time they’d meet at their secret base on route 116. It was a massive cave in the hills just beyond Rusturf Tunnel. The view was amazing, it was always a good time being there.

“Trust me, it is.”

“Steven, the last time you asked me to trust you we were almost trampled by a herd of Tropius.”

“I BEAT THE ELITE FOUR!”

“Wait, what?”

“I’M THE CHAMPION OF HOENN!” Steven put his hands on his hips in a power stance and beamed. This whole situation was so out of character for him.

“This just happened?”

“Yeah, I ran straight here!”

She deflated. Steven looked confused; that wasn’t the reaction he was expecting. He’s usually not one to brag

“oh… I thought we agreed we’d go together…”

Steven wanted to hit himself. He completely forgot that he had come up with the idea to go together when they met up for the first time after they both had all eight badges. He felt like an ass.

“I’m so sorry, (y/n)! It... It slipped my mind.”

“Well, congratulations, Mr. Champion. I hope it was worth it and that it’s everything you hoped for.”

With that, (y/n) grabbed her coat, her pokemon, her bag, and left the house. She couldn’t be around him at that moment. (y/n) was undefeated in battles, except when it came to Steven and his Metagross. And it always infuriated her. And now that he was champion, she knew there was no hope she’d get to live out that title. At least if they went together, she could have enjoyed it for an hour before he won the title from her.

(y/n) decided to get far away for a little while. Steven would expect her to go to the Secret Base, so she decided that her Tropius could take her somewhere else. Somewhere like Mt. Chimney. And that’s exactly what she did.

Atop Mt.Chimney, the whole of Hoenn was visible; it was a beautiful spot, and a good spot not to be found; to be left alone to cry.

She had to have been up there for hours, sobbing into Titan’s fur when she heard footsteps swiftly approaching. 

“Hey.” That all too familiar voice solemnly said.

“Go away.”

“No, you need to go home, it’s been hours. Your mom is really worried about you, she sent me up here. I understand that I messed up by not telling you I was going. And I want you to let me know the day you decide you’ve forgiven me, if you ever do.”

“Fine, I’ll go. But not because you told me to.”

With that she returned Titan to his pokeball and took Tropius out.

“Wait, (y/n). Can I at least make sure you get home safe? It’s really late and I’d hate myself even more than I do now if something bad happened to you.” He looked down sheepishly.

(y/n) sighed and nodded. “You’re still an ass though.”

When (y/n) and Steven arrived at her house, something felt wrong immediately once she opened the door. It was late and her mom was usually in bed by now. Had she worried her that much being out for as long as she had been? She was still sitting on the couch, perhaps she had fallen asleep out here.

“Steven? Would you mind waiting here with me for a little bit? Something feels wrong.”

“Of course. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who picked up on that.”

(y/n) approached her mother quietly and reached out to shake her awake. When she grabbed her shoulder, her body was cold; sewing needle still in her hand but the pants had fallen to the floor. (y/n) sucked in a sharp breath and jolted her hand back.

“Mom?” she said relatively quietly. No response.

“Mom?!” her voiced raised, panic becoming evident. Still no response.

“MOM!” She grabbed her shoulders, shaking her rather violently.

Still no response. (y/n) backed away slowly, tears spilling from her eyes staining her cheeks. The words her mother always told her ringing in her head. _“It’s not that serious.”_

Steven came up behind her and rested a hand on her shoulder. (y/n) turned and began sobbing uncontrollably into his jacket.

“I think she’s dead, Steven.”

He didn’t really know what to do other than hug his friend. He started crying too, but he walked (y/n) out of the room.

“(y/n), would you want to come spend the night with me in Mossdeep? We can figure out what to do in the morning okay?”

She feebly nodded. (y/n) and Steven climbed onto the back of her Tropius and flew off into the starry night sky.

As she and her friend arrived in Mossdeep, she finally spoke up, voice hoarse and shaky.

“Steven?”

The blue haired boy looked up to her, seeing as she was still seated atop the giant pokemon. He reached up to help her down.

“hmm?”

As she hopped down, she landed into a hug.

“I forgive you…”

She had lost everything. There was no point in staying in Hoenn anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think so far?


	6. Back to Reality

(y/n) was so caught in thought that she didn’t notice Raihan approach. She felt a tap on her shoulder, snapping her out of her memory.

“Did you hear me?”

“Huh? Sorry, I just… I have a lot on my mind right now… What’s up?” She turned to face the giant of a man, slightly distancing herself from Iris, so as not to disturb her conversation.

“I can understand that. It’s got to be a lot to take in all at once.”

“Something like that, I guess.”

“So… What’s the story behind that Arcanine? Titan? He seemed pretty happy to see Kabu.”

(y/n) was slightly taken aback. 9/10 times, the first question people would ask her to get to know her was “How’d you get those scars?” But at this question she just laughed and facepalmed, trying to hide her embarrassment and anxiety being around the attractive man.

“Titan is going to be the death of me, honestly. He’s such a stubborn little shit who tries to eat everything. Kabu gave him to me as a growlithe when I was 7, said he found him hiding in a crevasse in Mt. Chimney and just kind of followed him home after he offered the little guy a berry. He said he tried to get him to leave him alone, but eventually he just gave up. Whether I believe that or not is a different story; growlithe aren’t native to Hoenn. But Titan was a birthday present and Dad spoiled him like crazy. He’s been at my side ever since. Mostly well behaved, good for keeping you warm at night, total cuddle bug. Which was a lot easier to manage before he evolved. Now, I’m mostly just trying not to be crushed under 400lbs of overgrown puppy.”

Raihan couldn’t help but smile and chuckle at the idea of Kabu, the stoic, uptight, and highly regimented man he is, giving a tiny, shiny growlithe a berry then trying and failing to convince it to leave him alone. The whole situation seemed so unlike him.

“Sounds like Goodra. Sometimes they forget they aren’t small anymore then get mad at you for not picking them up anymore.”

“EXACTLY!”

“Why’d you decide to evolve him? Competitive reasons?” He knew asking about her appearance would prove to be a bad move, despite his deep curiosity. The scars were old and welted, but still slightly red. Once deep gashes had been smoothed out by time. Was it a pokemon attack? A weird accident? Did someone attack her?

“Funnily enough, it was a total accident. I had just arrived in Unova and was out exploring, collecting gym badges, defeating bad guys, saving the world, you know, the whole shebang. I was looking for a particular Yamask in the Desert Resort; I needed a water break and he was getting antsy in his pokeball, as usual, so I let him out to stretch and run for a little while. Well, he caught the scent of something or other and took off running into a sandstorm. When I finally caught up to him, he had already dug a hole about two feet deep into a dune. His tail started wagging and that’s when he popped back out with a Fire Stone. He took one look at me, and then evolved. I was devastated initially. I know he’s the same pokemon at heart, but he went from being this 2-foot-tall innocent bundle of joy, to being 7 feet tall, 400 pounds, and more stubborn than ever.” She laughed. Honestly, talking to Raihan was helping ease (y/n)’s nerves. It was nice not being asked about her scars for once. She didn’t really know what to expect, meeting the gym leaders, or even coming to Galar as a whole. But whatever she did expect hadn’t included seeing her dad again or reminiscing on her time with her companion pokemon with a gym leader who’s probably the same height. He was kind and seemed to have taken a genuine interest in her, at least as a challenger.

“So, are you strictly fire-types, or…. is there more to you?” She pretended not to notice him quickly glance her figure up and down with a smirk plastered across his face, only to fight a losing battle against the blush creeping onto her cheeks.

“Ah, no… I’d say my teams have always been pretty well rounded. Though, I will admit, I relate to fire-types a lot better than others. There was, however, a point where I thought about being a water-type trainer, but then I realized I don’t like being wet.”

“We’ll have to see about that, princess.” Raihan shot her a wink.

At that, (y/n) was as red as a tamato berry and biting her bottom lip. Of course, the most attractive man in the room had to have started flirting with her. He looked pleased with himself too. As if she didn’t have enough to be flustered about already.

He just chuckled. “Anyway, are you planning on using your old team for the gym challenge, or are you going to train up a new one?”

“Honestly? I don’t think I can use my old team. Isn’t there something in the challenge rules that you can’t use pokemon not found in the Galar pokedex? At least half of my team is going to have to be switched out if that’s the case.”

“That’s something you’d have to run by Leon and Chairman Rose, I think.”

“What’s something you’d have to run by Leon?” Leon had decided to walk towards their conversation once Nessa and Iris began talking about clothes, modeling, and acting in movies. Not his realm of interest.

“Just what pokemon I’m allowed to use during the gym challenge.”

Leon shot the h/c woman a confused look.

“Does it matter if my pokemon aren’t in the regional pokedex?”

“I’ll have to double check, but I’m almost certain the pokemon you use in official gym challenge matches have to be registered in the Galar pokedex. But unofficially, I want to see just how strong you are. Iris speaks very highly of you and your current team and, while I haven’t talked to him yet, I’m sure Steven does too.”

_Did Steven endorse me because he still feels guilty after all these years?_

“I’ll train a new team, or at least part of one. That’s half of the adventure, right? I’ve already been thinking about it anyway.”

“Anyone in particular you’re looking to have in your line-up?” Raihan knew better than to ask a seasoned trainer what their team was going to look like, especially being the last gym leader since it’d give him plenty of time to prepare, but he couldn’t help it. He really didn’t want to stop talking to her.

“I mean… Titan is going to stay my ace, but otherwise? I just kind of want to see what happens I guess.” She smirked. She wasn’t going to tell him that she had been thinking about what her new team was going to look like since she stepped foot onto the island, but she wasn’t exactly lying either. Her current team consisted of Titan, Lucario, Bannette, Togekiss, an Alolan Raichu, and Dragonite. And they took Unova by storm. Having to bench at least Banette and Dragonite broke her heart, her Raichu would also probably have to sit this adventure out. But it gave her a chance to work with regional pokémon.

“Aw come on, not gonna spill, Princess?” Raihan teased.

She smirked, two could play at this game. “Only in your dreams, dragon boy.”

He cocked an eyebrow, surprised at her sudden stroke of confidence

“I’m sure a lot of things will be happening in my dreams, other than what your team will look like.”

“And I’m sure it’ll all stay in your dreams too.”

Raihan wasn’t expecting that… at all. He stood in stunned silence for a moment. What happened to the bashful woman from literally a few minutes ago?

Leon just laughed at his rival.

Being overdramatic, Raihan grasped at his chest, “Oh, how you wound me so.”

“So sorry. Do you need a Rawst berry for the burn?”

“No, but I think a kiss would make it better.”

“Well, if *that’s* the case…”

(y/n) reached into her bag and pulled out a small, triangular, foil wrapped candy and handed it to him with a smile. Raihan looked utterly bamboozled until he looked closer. There was a little white slip of paper sticking out of the top of the foil wrapping, in blue letters it read “Kiss Chocolate”.

Raihan deadpanned. (y/n) couldn’t handle it any longer, she doubled over laughing. Flirting was fun sometimes.

“I see how it is.”

“Real talk though, do either of you have any suggestions? The two of you know Galar’s pokémon the best.”

“Well, what pokemon are you thinking of benching?” Leon was more than happy to offer some advice. She did have a point. The two men had been at this a long time.

“Banette is a Ghost-type, Dragonite is, well, a Dragon-type, and Raichu. She’s an Alolan form though, making her an Electric- Psychic-type.”

Raihan spoke, “You should try out Dragapult. It’s a Ghost- Dragon- type. If you’re looking to maintain your typing. I think I may have a Dreepy you could travel with. The earlier you start with it, the better. It’s a while before it evolves. I’ll warn you though, she’s a little troublemaker.”

“Well then that makes two of us then. Are you sure you want to give her up?”

“Yeah why not? I’m sure you’ll be a great trainer for her.”

This surprised Leon, in all the years they had known each other, Raihan was never one to freely give out his pokémon. He was always a stickler for an even trade. He had to be up to something. Sure, his Dragapult had laid several eggs that just recently hatched, but Leon didn’t expect him to just offer one of the little Dreepy up, much less to a woman he had just met.

“Want to meet up tomorrow for a trade then? I have a Dratini I could give you in return.” (y/n) was beaming. She had been wanting a Dragapult since she found out about it. Having a dual Dragon- Ghost- type meant she had an extra spot on her team. Leaving room for the other two pokemon she had her eye on: Toxtricity and Dreadnaw.

Raihan tucked his hands behind his head and shifted his weight to one side before sending a wolfish grin her way. “It’s a date then!”


	7. Reconnecting

It was late, and one by one the Gym leaders had already begun to leave the stadium until the only ones left were Raihan, Leon, Iris, (y/n) and Kabu. The four younger trainers engulfed in conversation still.

Kabu knew (y/n) resented him, as much as it pained him to know that. She had every reason to. He chased his dream of becoming a gym leader at the expense of his own family. After Flannery took over the Fire-type gym in Lavaridge, instead of himself, he knew he’d have to go elsewhere if he wanted to achieve his dream. He understood the reasoning his wife, Indez, gave him for not wanting to leave Hoenn, but he wished she would have come with him. It broke his heart, leaving his family behind. But she was right. At the time, (y/n) had recently started her pokémon journey and already had two gym badges. It wouldn’t be fair of him to ask his only child to leave everything she knew, just because he wanted to continue his own adventure. On top of it, Indez was too sick to just pack up and leave on an adventure around the world. Kabu knew about her heart condition, he knew the stress would be too much. But he was young, dumb, and hopeful the two most important women in his life would join him. Indez had told him, time and time again, that she wanted him to be happy; that she didn’t want to stand in his way of following his dream. She would remind him that, even though he was a father, he was still his own person with goals and ambitions, and she would support him regardless of if it meant leaving her. She was his best friend, and that support was why he loved her. He never intended to hurt (y/n), but he also knew she wouldn’t have understood fully. And her reaction to seeing him again was proof enough that she resented him. Maybe not hate him, but he had left a hole in her heart.

“(y/n)! Do you want to head out? We still need to check in at the Budew drop Inn!” the short violet haired girl asked, pulling on (y/n)’s sleeve, grabbing her attention from Leon and Raihan.

She had seemed like she was enjoying her conversation earlier, and Kabu couldn’t pull himself to steal her away from that. So, he sat against the wall for a while, thinking of what to say to her. She was making friends, while being supported by old ones. Out of everyone, he was grateful it was Raihan and Leon who had befriended her. They would help her get stronger, keep pushing her forward, and never tear her down. Some of the other gym leaders could be rather callous in conversation without realizing it.

“Leon and I should probably head out too, as much as I’d like to talk to you forever, Princess.”

Hearing Raihan come up with a pet name for his daughter made his blood boil. But he knew he had no right to intervene; she wasn’t 12 anymore. She was an adult who had sovereignty over her own life.

“If you play your cards right, maybe you will, Dragon boy. I’ll see you tomorrow morning for that trade.” She shot him a wink.

“Morning can’t come soon enough, I promise.”

Leon gave the dragon type leader a knowing glance.

“Hey Iris, while (y/n) is in Hammerlocke, why don’t you come to Potswick with me? I’m sure Mom, Dad, and Hop will be happy to see you.”

“OH! That sounds super fun! Sure thing!”

Kabu rose from where he was sitting, hoping to catch (y/n) before she left.

“I’m going to hang out here for a little while longer Iris. You can go on ahead without me.” She turned and made eye contact with Kabu. Pain evident in her eyes, and she sent a sad smile his way before looking back to her friend.

“Okay! Just text if you need me. I’m not too far!”

The two champions and the towering gym leader made their way off the field, discussing types of curry and other foods they could grab on their way back to the hotel, but (y/n) stayed planted in her spot. Looking at the ground.

The air was tense, and the silence was uncomfortable.

Kabu approached his daughter carefully. She had a temper growing up, and he had yet to know if it had improved in her maturity. He gently rested a hand on her shoulder.

“(y/n)” he paused and sighed, “I’m sorry. For everything.” For years, he had yearned to say those words to his daughter. (y/n) sighed loudly, as if she had been holding her breath.

“For years I waited for you to come home. And every day I waited, the more I disappointed myself holding onto that false hope. I kept hoping for a letter, a call, something.” She sniffled, “Every day for over a year, I’d hear mom crying as I was trying to go to bed. More often than not, I’d go to her room and cry with her, hugging her, not understanding why you had left. It broke us. She was never the same after you left. She was always quiet, became downtrodden, and she’d snap at me over the smallest things. I blamed myself for a long time. ‘What had I done that made Dad want to leave?’”

Kabu deflated. He had expected damage would be done but hearing how he broke the women he loved, hurt. How could it not? He had planned things to say, but all of that had been thrown out the window, he really didn’t know what to say to that.

“She never explained anything either, said I wouldn’t understand… And she’s right, I wouldn’t have then, and frankly, I may still not understand. But I want to at least try.” She turned to meet her father’s gaze, eyes red and puffy with tears. He hated seeing her like this.

He hung his head in shame and took a deep breath. “I’ve had a lot of time to think and I’ve realized there’s no good reason for why I did what I did, how I did it. I was being selfish. (y/n), my entire life I’ve wanted to be a gym leader, and your mother knew that. When Mr. Moore stepped down from being the gym leader in Lavaridge, my intention was to take that title. But then he put his granddaughter, Flannery, in charge and I felt cheated and lost. I wanted to achieve my dream so badly, I had settled on traveling to find somewhere that would let me obtain my goal. I begged your mother for months to come with me. But you were already well on your way collecting gym badges, and your mother was ill. She refused.” He met her gaze, “I wanted you both to come with me. The last thing I wanted was to leave the two of you behind, but your mother insisted I go. That the two of you would be fine. She told me I was unbearable while I was down on myself and defeated. She told me to go find my purpose again, and should I choose to return, I’d always be welcome home.” Tears fell down his cheeks. “I truly am sorry, (y/n). My intention never was to hurt you. I sent letters, tried calling, but I never heard anything back. I tried to keep in touch, please believe that.”

“You missed so much.” She was barely holding it together by this point. Her mom was right, she wouldn’t have understood when she was younger, but now that she was older and had been on her journey for as long as she has been, his reason made sense regardless of how much it hurt.

“I know. And I also know I’ll never be able to make up for lost time. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about the two of you though. And frankly, I had dreamed of the day I’d see you again, but the reality is so much sweeter. I am immensely proud of how far you’ve come since I saw you last. You’ve done well for yourself.”

(y/n) brushed the tears from her face and swung her arms around her father’s neck, holding him tight, as if he’d leave again if she were to loosen her grip even slightly.

“Thank you.” Her voice was muffled by his shoulder, but she didn’t care.

The two trainers stayed hugging each other for a long while, relishing in the feeling of having family close again.

Kabu was the first to let go, but (y/n)’s arms stayed put, not wanting to let this moment slip away.

“I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, little Torkoal.” She smiled. It had been so long since she heard that nickname.

“I’d hope not.” She said as she dropped her arms, “It’d be a little hard get that badge without you here.” She chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. Kabu smiled, the reality that he’d get to battle his daughter setting in.

“Don’t think I’ll make it easy for you just because you’re my own blood.”

“If anything, I want you to make your gym more difficult for me. I feel I have to prove myself.”

“You have nothing to prove to me, (y/n).”

“It’s not for you, it’s more to prove to myself that everything I’ve done thus far has been worth it.”

He nodded. Having a fiery spirit himself, he always felt he had to prove himself too.

He sighed, smile faltering for a moment.

“(y/n)… can I ask you something?”

“Yeah?”

“How’s your mother? When was the last time you saw her?” a serious look now adorned his stoic features.

(y/n)’s smile fell, and tears welled up in her eyes again. She swallowed hard and focused on the sky above her in the open-air stadium, before attempting to face her father again, and failing, deciding to focus on her shoelaces instead. It was an old wound that she was over by now, but with emotions running high at the moment, she couldn’t help but cry.

“Mom died about three years after you left. Nurse Joy said she had heart issues.”

His heart leapt into his throat as he tried to keep himself from screaming. His beloved Indez, gone… and he was half-way across the globe.

“That was part of why I left Hoenn. I lived with Steven for a year before I couldn’t handle it anymore.”

Kabu always thought Steven was a good kid. He was grateful that (y/n) had him in her life, especially after all these years.

“I tried convincing her to move to Verdanturf, but she always told me it wasn’t that serious. I wish I had tried harder.” (y/n)’s voice broke.

“I did too. She was always stubborn about it, even before you were born, (y/n). She had that heart condition for a long time. There was never any convincing her. Please know there wasn’t anything you could have done differently.”

“I know… It is what it is. There’s no changing the past.”

Kabu slung his arm around (y/n)’s shoulders, “Why don’t you tell me about your adventures over a bowl of curry? You’re obviously more than welcome to stay with me while you’re in Galar, though I can understand if you don’t want to. All I ask is that you don’t make yourself scarce.”

“Curry would be nice, Dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find it would be hard to stay mad at Kabu, even if he did fuck up.


	8. Late Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of filler? Kind of not?

(y/n) decided to sleep on the couch in her dad’s apartment within Motostoke Stadium than walk over to the inn. By the time she and Kabu stopped talking and went to bed, it was easily three in the morning anyway.

Her peaceful sleep was rudely interrupted by her rotom-phone shocking her awake.

“Hey!”

“ _Bzzrt*_ Sorry, you weren’t waking up for your normal alarm. _Bzzrt*_ ” The rotom then flew into her bag.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee and pancakes wafted through the apartment. Sluggishly, (y/n) walked into what she assumed was the kitchen and sat at the counter height table. She rested her head in her hands, when a mug and a plate of pancakes was set down in front of her.

“So, where are you off to first? You could go straight to Turrfield. Titan will make quick work of Milo’s pokémon. Or you could head to the Wild Area to find some new teammates.” Kabu sipped his coffee, joining (y/n) at the table; observing the young woman in front of him. He enjoyed cooking, but generally it was only for him and his pokemon.

“Hammerlocke. Dreepy from Raihan. Said he’d meet me by the stairs at 10.” (y/n) was never a morning person, much less so with only a handful of hours rest. She sipped her coffee; she knew she’d need it for today.

“If that’s the case, I should probably let you know It’s 9:45, and the flying taxis are grounded until further notice due to the wind.” Kabu smirked. He genuinely wanted her to see the Wild Area.

That woke (y/n) up. Eyes going wide, she downed the remainder of her coffee in one large gulp and grabbed one of the dry pancakes off the plate her dad had set in front of her, stuffing it into her mouth. She scrambled to gather her things and tie her boots.

“Damn! Sorry to leave so quickly, I guess I slept a lot later than expected. Thanks for breakfast! I’ll be back later, I think. Love you Dad!” And with that she bolted out the door, bag barely on, before Kabu could even reply. He just chuckled.

_Some things never change._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Why do the taxis have to be grounded!_

(y/n) sprinted through Motostoke, until she reached the wild area. The vast expanse that lied before her was a little jarring.

“It’s just a free Safari Zone. It’s just a free Safari Zone.” She muttered to herself before pulling out her Rotom-phone from her bag.

“Can you show me how to get to Hammerlocke, please?”

“ _Bzzrt_ No Problem!”

A green line appeared on her town map, highlighting the fastest route through the wilderness.

“ _Bzzrt_ According to my calculations, you won’t reach the Hammerlocke stairs until, at earliest, 11:00. _Bzzrt”_

“By walking?”

“Yup!”

“What about by pokemon?”

The rotom just gave her a confused little beeping noise.

(y/n) grabbed Titan’s pokeball and released him. He breathed in the fresh air.

“Hey buddy, we’re going for a ride!”

The pokemon ignored her. She sighed and grabbed a pokepuff from her bag. Upon seeing the delicious pink treat, he lied down and allowed (y/n) to climb onto his back.

“Just head over that bridge over there and keep straight!”

Titan barked loudly, startling the two gentlemen by the stairs, and (y/n) held onto his mane tight before he took of in a near full sprint.

Riding on Titan’s back was always fun yet chaotic. She couldn’t exactly steer him in any one direction since he moved too fast to take in surroundings, unless he was walking. She just had to hold on and trust her partner wouldn’t accidentally kill her. Cries of pokémon passed in the wind, and the wild area was a blur of color until they came to a startling halt about 5-7 minutes later. Faced with a sharp cliff. She huffed, glancing around, noticing a small path up and around, making a mental note of the rock face for future refrence.

“Thanks buddy.” (y/n) slid off the canine’s back, tossing him another treat. He barked happily and wagged his tail as she scratched his head.

“Well, that’s one way to get around.” A familiar, low voice said from behind her, rather impressed.

She turned to face Raihan.

“Well, it was either this or be an hour late.”

He took one look at her and burst out laughing.

“Nice hair!”

“Shut up, you dork.”

She grabbed a cap and a ponytail holder from her bag.

“What? Not going to keep the wind-blown locks?”

“Nah, it’s easier to grab if it’s up.” She shot him a wink. He started to turn red.

Satisfied with herself, she started swiftly up the stairs, opening his pokeball over her shoulder, returning Titan. She stopped about halfway up and glanced back at Raihan.

“You coming, Dragon boy?”

_This woman will be the death of me…_

He bolted up the stairs to catch up, taking them two at a time.


	9. Sleepy Dreepy

Hammerlocke was beautiful. (y/n) couldn’t help but drop her jaw at the sheer size and elegance of the castle/stadium in front of her.  
“You like?”  
(y/n) nodded her head, unable to speak. The sound of a camera shutter came from her left. She whipped her head toward the culprit, Raihan.  
“Relax, it was a selfie. Let’s head to the field, I can give you the tour of the town later.”  
Little did she know it was most definitely not a selfie. He grabbed her hand as his Rotom-phone flew into his pocket. It was (y/n)’s turn to go red. It was only now, walking next to him, that she genuinely realized just how damn tall he was. Her head barely reached nipple level.

  
When they reached the field, she noticed the pokemon running around playing, arguing, and laughing with one another.  
“Is this your team?”  
“Sure is! I was training earlier this morning before I went to grab you, figured I’d give them a little free-roaming relaxation time before we get back to it.”  
It was then that she noticed a small green dragon curled up in a ball away from the others.  
“Is that Dreepy?” She released Raihan’s hand, pointing towards the small serpentine figure.  
“Yeah, want to go say hi?”  
He didn’t even finish his question before the h/c haired girl darted past him. He just chuckled and followed.  
She grabbed a pokepuff from her bag and knelt by the bright eyed Dreepy, who looked at her in pure curiosity, sniffing the sweet treat in her hand.  
 _Titan will be mad I gave away one of his pokepuffs, but that’s his problem, not mine._

  
The pokemon sniffed the puff cautiously before deciding it was okay and swallowing the thing whole. The Dreepy chirped happily before floating around (y/n) in a spiral, landing on her head.  
“I think she likes you.”  
“Before I forget!” She sprung to her feet, catching Dreepy off guard resulting in a squeak from the poor dragon, and ruffled through her bag. She pulled out a Premier ball and setting it in Raihan’s hand, lingering for just a moment. Something that didn’t go unnoticed by Raihan. “He’s yours. Dratini is quite the character. But I will let you know, the evolution from Dragonair to Dragonite is kind of jarring.”  
“How so?”  
“Oh, you’ll see eventually.”  
Raihan just looked at the beauty in front of him, bemused, but shrugged.  
He tossed the pokeball high into the air, his pokemon watching his every move with eager eyes, releasing the surprisingly long, blue, serpent pokemon who slithered around happily.  
(y/n) watched as he greeted the newest member of his team with few words and a scratch under his chin. It was a shame he couldn’t use him in gym battles, but he would fit in well alongside his other pokemon. Goodra was the first to approach, tentatively at first, but Dratini slithered right up to her and they began to chat.  
“Do you ever wonder what pokemon talk about?” Raihan asked.  
“They’re probably talking about your ridiculous hoodie.”  
He turned around and glared at her, “Hey!”  
“Kidding! Kidding.” She threw her hands up in surrender.  
Raihan blinked a few times, staring at the woman in front of him. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards.  
 _She’s even cute with a Dreepy on her head like she’s a Drakloak._  
“Can I take a picture of you? This is too cute to pass up. “  
Apparently the pokepuff made for a sleepy Dreepy. Her arms hung limply on either side of the brim of (y/n)’s hat, her head tilted to the side as her body lie on the rest of (y/n)’s head. She definetly looked a lot less intimidating with a sleeping pokemon across her cap.  
“Uh, sure, but only if you send it to me.”  
“Deal.”  
As he grabbed his phone, she moved into a very elegant pose: turned at a slight angle with one hand over her chest, and the other slightly raised from her side. She was a natural. Her smile was genuine, her eyes had so much joy in them. This was a massive difference from the timid, yet slightly intimidating woman he had met after the opening ceremony. Frankly, Raihan had expected her to be cold and closed off when he first saw her but looks apparently are very deceiving. He took several pictures, just in case one got deleted on accident.  
“Let me see!”  
She walked gently, so as not to disturb her sleeping friend; she was excited to see how it turned out, and her smile made it evident. Raihan held his phone out towards her. Her smile faltered.  
“What? You don’t like it? We can try another one!”  
“No! No! The photo itself is great! It’s just…” she sighed  
“Just what?”  
“I haven’t seen a photo of me since this happened” gesturing to the scars running across her face. “They look pretty grotesque... It’s one thing to see your reflection when you have a damaged face, but it’s another thing to see yourself how others see you.” She grabbed at her arm, looking away.  
Raihan’s heart broke hearing that.  
“For what it’s worth, I think you look pretty badass.”  
He mentally kicked himself, beautiful, that was the word he was looking for.  
She smiled lightly.  
“So… I’m going to need your number if you want me to send it to you.”  
“Right!”  
(y/n) grabbed his phone and typed in her 10-digit code and handed it back. Moments later her phone buzzed in her bag.  
“Want to do me a favor?”  
He cocked his eyebrow.  
“Send that to my dad too. I bolted pretty quickly after I woke up this morning in order to get here. It’s only fair. Plus, it’ll let him know I’m here safe.”  
“Deal”  
(y/n) felt movement on her head, signaling her newest friend had awoken from her nap. She reached up to grab the pokemon and held its tiny frame in front of her.  
“You going to name her?”  
“Aisling. (pronounced ASH-ling) It means dream.”


	10. Turffield

After spending a good portion of the early afternoon with Raihan, poking fun at each other, goofing off and having small 1v1 pokémon training battles, (y/n) decided that it’d be best if she actually started the gym challenge.  
“You know, you’re welcome to come with.”  
She would never say it out loud, but secretly, she enjoyed her time with the Dragon Tamer more than she had expected and couldn’t bear to say goodbye just yet.  
“Unfortunately, the Chairman has asked to meet with me about the powerplant this afternoon. Rain check?”  
She deflated. “I’ll hold you to it.”  
After a hug that lasted a moment longer than normal, she headed towards the Wild Area once again.

  
She pulled out her Rotom Phone, walking, careful to avoid any tall grass, for the time being.  
 **IRIS (12:25)** : HEYYY! How goes it? You ready to get this show on the road?  
 **(Y/N) (1:37)** : Haha sorry, I was preoccupied. I sure am, I’m just leaving Hammerlocke now.  
 **IRIS (1:38):** You’ve been there all day! That’s an awful long time just to get a pokémon ;)  
 **IRIS (1:38):** Leon and I headed to Motostoke after you didn’t reply. Come on, we can leave for Turffield together.  
 **(Y/N) (1:39)** : We did some training for bit. Don’t get any ideas. Nothing like that.  
 **IRIS (1:40)** : “Training” XD Okay sure… You two sure talk a big game for it only being a pokémon battle…  
 **(Y/N) (1:40)** : I’M SERIOUS  
 **IRIS (1:42):** I’m just messing with you, silly. Now hurry up! That Grass Badge won’t get itself!

By the time she reached Motostoke, the sun was bearing down and the heat of the day had really set in.  
 **(Y/N) (2:50)** : Where are you? Let’s get a move on.  
 **IRIS (2:51):** I’ll meet you by the stadium!  
Sure enough, when she got there, she was greeted by her two endorsers and Leon.  
“About time!”  
“Well it would’ve been easier if the taxis weren’t grounded…”  
Leon looked very confused.  
“What are you talking about? The flying taxis are running fine. That’s how we got here.”  
Her look said it all.  
“Whatever. I’m here now. Are we flying or…?”  
“Flying would be easier but traveling by foot is half of the adventure!” Steven always was one for traveling by foot. He would make for a great traveling partner if he didn’t stop to turn over every slightly odd colored rock on his path, however.  
“We can always backtrack, Steven. Frankly, I’m exhausted from the walk over here.”  
He pouted.  
“Taxi it is!” Leon made a brief call and in no time at all, a Corviknight carriage landed in front of them.

  
Arriving in Turffield was amazing. The Geoglyph was beautiful from the sky. The four of them filed out of the Taxi and watched it fly off; the stadium lie just ahead, glowing in the distance.  
“Hey, does anyone else hear that?”  
(y/n) caught the soft sound of something rolling. Suddenly, she was on the ground, face in a pile of mud. A small, timid “Baaaah” rang in her ear.  
“Are you okay?! I’m so sorry about Wooloo.”  
She rolled over to see the most adorable pair of eyes staring her down, hardly inches away.  
The pokemon sniffed her. “BAAAAH!!!”  
“Well, hello to you too, Wooloo.” She said, shoving the pokemon off her, “I’m fine. No thanks to you three.” She shot a pointed glare towards her “friends” who were laughing at her misfortune.  
“Here, let me help you.”  
A short peach haired man, whom she recognized to be Turrfield’s gym leader, Milo, shot out a hand which she gladly took.  
Wiping off her face with her hoodie, she met his concerned gaze.  
“I’m okay, I promise Milo.”  
“It’s good to finally see you in Turffield, (y/n). I’ll get Wooloo back to the stadium so the gym challenge can be completed. I look forward to our battle! Good to see you Leon, and you too Iris!” With that Milo was off, Wooloo trotting happily beside him.  
“So, (y/n). Straight to the gym or do you want to do a little sightseeing?” Steven had a glint in his eye, the restraint visible. She could tell he really wanted to go investigate the monoliths scattered about the town.  
“I really want to check out the Geoglyph before the match. It’ll be less chaotic if we do it beforehand.”  
Everyone nodded and began heading up the path to the left, not waiting for Steven to catch up, seeing as he was investigating every monolith along the way.  
Upon seeing the picture carved into the hillside, (y/n) was rather intrigued.  
“Are Charmander native to Galar?”  
Iris shot (y/n) a confused look.  
“No, they’re Kantonian, why?”  
“Because it looks like a giant Charmander standing next to the sun! I don’t know!”  
“You’re right, I can see it.” Leon piped up. “It’s supposedly a representation of dynamaxed pokémon, but no one’s really sure. “  
“Dyna- what?”  
“Dynamax? To put it simply, if you find a wishing star, you can access this power in your pokemon that makes them gigantic and extremely powerful. You’ll see for yourself soon enough.”  
“Huh. Neat! Sounds kind of like mega evolution!”  
“Mega evolution?”  
“I can show you some other time with Lucario or Banette. It’s a battle evolution based around trust between you and your pokémon. Some pokémon even change types when they mega evolve.”  
“Sounds interesting. I’d love to see it! I wonder if you could dynamax a mega evolved pokemon.”  
Iris spoke, “Anyway, we should get you to the stadium! The geoglyph isn’t going anywhere, but Milo might be!”  
“Fair enough.”  
With that the trio headed back towards Turffield Stadium, picking up Steven along the way. He didn’t make it too much farther than where he first diverted from the group, typical Steven.


	11. The First Gym

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel weird that i'm 11 chapters in and only now getting to write a pokemon battle. I'll try to speed it up so it doesn't have 100 chapters.

“I have to what?!”

“Herd Wooloo.” The gym trainer reiterated.

(y/n) sighed. “My only experience with Wooloo was being tackled into a mud puddle by one about 30 minutes ago. So, I guess this may be harder than the actual battle.”

“I wish you the best of luck in that case.” She chuckled, stepping aside for (y/n) to enter the gym

A whistle sounded in the distance, signaling her gym challenge had begun. Wooloo were happily munching along the field, hardly taking notice to the h/c haired girl.

She began running at the wooloo, hoping something would happen. Maybe they’d roll and herd themselves. No dice. They payed minimal attention to her, making her look like a fool running around the normal type pokemon.

_Hmm. Okay then. There goes that idea. What else would get them to mo…_

“BERRIES!” she shouted; the thought hit her like a ton of bricks. All the wooloo looked up at her.

“I was going to use these for the battle, but they’ll have to do.” She grabbed a handful of Sitrus berries from her pocket. All 20 wooloo’s eyes went wide at the sight of the yellow spotted berries and began running towards her.

_Didn’t think that all the way through._

She began to sprint down the field, the flock of wooloo rolling behind her. It was still considered herding them, right? Slightly terrified, she sprinted towards the hay bales, diving off to the side before she could be tackled again and seriously injured; the Wooloo, knocking the barrier down in the process.

There were two yamper running amok up ahead, scarring the wooloo in all directions.

_Great…_

(y/n) sprinted towards the barrier once more, avoiding the gym trainer. This challenge was hard enough as is, she didn’t need to waste time with petty battles.

Letting out a loud whistle, she tossed three berries into the air, catching them, and the pokemon’s attention. The yamper ran behind the wooloo, effectively herding them for her. She dodged out of the way at the last minute again.

_At least this is an effective system?_

She repeated the process of sprinting with the berries, followed in close pursuit by the herd of 20 wooloo once more before being greeted by a tall staircase.

She was met with a loud fanfare followed by “*GYM CHALLENGE COMPLETE*” when she reached the top. Now the real fun was about to begin.

(y/n) walked out onto the field, lights blinding her. Her first gym battle of Galar. She was terrified, but exhilarated. The roar from the crowd was immense and deafening. Across the field she spotted him, the grass type master himself: Milo. A large smile was plastered across his face, shielded slightly by the large brim on his sun hat.

“I enjoyed watching your take on herding wooloo, I have to admit, in all my years, it was definetly a first.” Milo chucked, “You know, this” he gestured to the crowd, “is crazy. I’ve seen large turnouts here, but not one like this for someone’s first gym battle.”

He was right, the stadium was packed to the brim; all eyes trained on (y/n).

“Didn’t realize I was so popular. Can’t imagine why.” She smirked. Regardless of if people knew she was Kabu’s daughter, she was endorsed by another champion, and Leon’s cousin to boot; they no doubt had to see if she was actually something noteworthy. She had a bar set for her the moment she landed in Galar, and it was high.

“You’ve definitely got quite the fan club; you’re a hot topic among the gym leaders too. Especially after what happened after the opening ceremony.” Milo laughed again before continuing.

“So, you ready for this?”

(y/n) sighed, “As ready as I’m going to be.”

“This is going to be a doozy of a battle. I’ll have to Dynamax my pokemon if I want to win!”

(y/n) and Milo turned to take their respective spots; looking up into the crowd, she spotted familiar faces in the front row, standing directly behind her. Kabu, Steven, Iris, Leon, and, much to her surprise, Raihan.

 _That bastard… He actually showed_.

He sent her a big wave and two thumbs up, while everyone cheered her on. She just shook her head, smiling and letting out a small laugh. She gripped the friend ball on her side before whipping around, tossing out her beloved ace, Titan; ending her throw in a position not unsimilar to a Baile Style Oricorio before taking her battle stance. Her weight shifted to her back leg, as she rested her non-dominant forearm on the forward most thigh, crouched slightly. It was characteristic for her by now. As the holder of 19 gym badges, 8 from Hoenn and 11 from Unova, this battle would be a cake walk.

“Titan! Let’s show this gardener how it’s done!” Titan howled in eager response, sending the crowd absolutely wild, making him quite pleased with himself.

_What a ham… This is all going to go to his head, I know it._

Milo sent out Glossifleur without a word.

“Titan! Extreme Speed around back into Flame Wheel!”

“Glossifleur! Get out of there! Use Rapid Spin!”

But it was too late. By the time Milo had finished his commands, Titan was already behind Glossifleur charging forward in a fiery blaze, barely giving the pokémon time to register that the battle had started. A ball of fiery force plowed the grass type into the ground, before Titan came skidding to a halt in front of (y/n), his back to her; leaving skid marks in his wake. Glossifleur turned into a glowing white light, the fainted pokémon being called back to his pokeball.

“Woohoo! Nice one! But we’re not going to be done in that easy! We’re as tough as weeds! Go Eldegoss!”

The music shifted, sending (y/n)’s heartrate soaring. This was the kind of thing she lived for.

“Come on, then! It’s Dynamax time! You’re about to be uprooted!” Milo called Eldegoss back into the pokeball, only for it to quadruple in size. He patted the large glowing ball gently before launching it into the air behind him. Eldegoss exploded from the pokeball, now at least 100-200 feet tall. (y/n) stood upright; her jaw dropped in awe of the gigantic pokemon before her. Titan turned to look at (y/n), a look plastered onto his face that read “You’ve got to be kidding me…”. (y/n) gathered herself, shaking her head quickly. Now was no time to get distracted.

She made eye contact with Titan.

“It’s still a grass-type bud. Give it all you’ve got!”

“Eldegoss! Quick, use Max Strike!”

A bright white light erupted through the cracking ground beneath Titan, tearing into him.

“Titan!”

The pokémon was shaken and slightly worse for wear, not knowing what to have expected. Regaining his composure, he crouched emitting a low growl, making the air around him vibrate. He was mad now; no grass type was going to show him up like that. He took off into a sprint without being commanded, flames igniting the ground with every step he took. He sent a burst of fire up towards the towering pokémon, subsuquently leaping after it. Using Iron Tail, he smacked the Fire Blast, doubling its speed and power, hitting Eldegoss within the dynamax, square in the chest. The crowd was in awe, a synchronized gasp was audible from the crowd. Upon contact, Eldegoss burst into flames, shrinking back to normal size before returning to its pokeball, defeated.

Titan bellowed a deafening roar that echoed through the stadium; the cheering of the crowd followed suit. In two hits, Milo was defeated. It was a short battle, but (y/n) had left an impression on the region. She and Titan were a force to be reckoned with, and nothing was going to stand in their way.

Kabu watched in awe of the sheer power that radiated off Titan. Had the silly, little, shiny Growlithe he found all those years ago really turned into this monstrous steamroller? It was amazing to witness. He had a mind of his own when it came to battle, that much was evident by his response to being hit by a max move, but it was also evident that he was a veteran competitor. The combination of Fire Blast and Iron Tail was beyond flawless; it was executed so effortlessly, as it no doubt had been used countless times before. Kabu quickly glanced at the others he was with, Iris and Steven were cheering like mad, ecstatic of the accomplishment of their close friend. But he also noted the fear on Leon’s face. While he found the Champion enjoyable, it gave him a deep-seated satisfaction to see Leon realize his daughter was a serious threat to his title. Maybe it’d humble the violet-haired boy out just a little. Kabu had to admit, she had done well for herself in the years he had been absent. But then, there was Raihan’s reaction, and Kabu couldn’t help but smile a little. His daughter seemed to really get along with him, so he couldn’t be mad about the nicknames forever. The Dragon-type Leader looked completely infatuated, not only by the battle itself, but by (y/n).

“The power of grass has wilted. What an incredible challenger!” Milo shouted, meeting (y/n) in the middle of the field. “Here’s your Grass Badge, you’ve definitely earned it.” He took a small, oddly shaped, golden badge out of his pocket, the green leaf enamel glistening under the stadium lights, setting it into his opponent’s palm.

“Thank you! I wish the battle could’ve been a little longer, but this makes for the 20th gym badge of my career, so it truly means a lot.”

“Your Arcanine, he’s a powerhouse; that’s certain.”

“Hopefully we get to battle again in the future.”

“I look forward to it.”

With that, both trainers went their separate ways off the field.


	12. Post-Battle Shenanigans

Retiring to the locker room, (y/n) felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Her statement on the field only just hitting her now.

_This really is my 20 th gym badge, isn’t it? Maybe it was unfair of me to use Titan; he’s been through all those gyms, plus I had a type advantage... _

“(Y/N)!” snapped out of her thoughts, she was met with a tackle hug by no other than Iris. “THAT WAS AMAZING! Titan didn’t even need commands! He knew exactly what you wanted him to do!”

“How’d you get in here?”

Iris laughed, refusing to answer.

“Thanks, but that was hardly a battle, though. It was barely 10 minutes! I can’t help but feel like I should have used a different pokemon or gone easier. There are so many eyes trained on you, expecting a battle worth talking about.”

“That’s nonsense! Your pokemon really respect you! They’re having fun! It was amazing seeing Titan take Milo down in two hits! You should have seen Leon’s face when Titan took that dynamaxed Eldegoss down! Plus, it’s a nightmare outside, everyone in Galar wants to talk to you!”

(y/n) paled. Fame was something she knew well, especially after battling Iris as often as she has in Unova, but it wasn’t something she was overly fond of. Especially not the post-battle barrage of reporters and people wanting to glimpse the trainer.

She tied her boots, tucking her uniform into her bag.

“Well, then I’ll give them something to talk about.”

Iris snuck out of the locker room, media hardly paying her attention. But when (y/n) walked out, all hell broke loose. Lights flashing; everyone talking at once. (y/n) just smiled a lopsided grin.

“(y/n)! (y/n)! How do you feel after defeating Milo?”

“I feel like I had an unfair advantage having already defeated 19 gyms in two other regions. Personally, the gym challenge was the hardest part. But overall, having my 20th gym badge feels great! I wish the battle would have been longer but having never faced off against a dynamax pokemon before, Titan and I didn’t know what to expect. He definitely knew how to handle the situation though!” She laughed.

“(y/n)! over here! Can you tell us about your Arcanine?”

“Titan is my best friend. My dad gave him to me when I was 7; he’s been through everything with me. He’s fierce in battle, but a total ham who loves to cuddle when we’re not training. I couldn’t imagine getting as far as I have without him.”

“Over here! Could you tell us how you got those scars across your face?”

(y/n) tensed. She had expected the question, but hated it, nonetheless. It was a sensitive subject for her that not many people knew the answer to.

She responded coldly, “No comment. I’m not taking any more questions.”

The media went nuts, trying to fit in one more question, moving out of her way slightly.

One question caught her attention though, “(y/n)! What would you say to Champion Leon right now?”

She stopped in her tracks, everyone going silent, anticipating a response. She looked over her shoulder.

“No one is ever unbeatable. Remember that. I’m coming for you.” With that, she sauntered out of the stadium.

Her Rotom-phone buzzed in her pocket.

 ** _Dragon Boy (3:45):_** Hey there Princess! Your fan club is waiting for you by the Geoglyph. Don’t keep us waiting too long!

 ** _(y/n) (3:45):_** You ass, you lied to me! You said you weren’t coming!

 ** _Dragon Boy (3:46):_** Surprise?

(y/n) smiled. Surprise indeed.

Lo and behold, awaiting at the geoglyph was all the trainers supporting her in the stands. Kabu was first to speak.

“Incredible performance, (y/n). That was quite an impressive display of power.”

“I’ll say!” Steven agreed, “You’ve *definitely* gotten stronger since I last saw you. I bet you’d have Metagross against a wall with moves like that!”

(y/n) beamed, that was a compliment she hadn’t expected, and it meant the world hearing that from her former rival.

“Thanks. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting Titan to just take off like that against Eldegoss. It was kind of scary, you should have heard the growl he made. I could feel it in my chest.”

“You weren’t the only one who was scared, you should have seen Leon when it happened.” Raihan smirked at his rival, who shot him a glare, clearly betrayed.

“Hey! I was not scared. I was surprised more than anything! Pokemon don’t usually take off without commands! Nothing can take the unbeatable champion down!” Leon avoided eye contact with the woman who he now saw as a threat, and if her interview was any indication, she was a serious one.

“Okay buddy. Whatever you say.” Raihan sent him a look, knowing he was full of shit. “What do you say we go out to celebrate? Hmm? Didn’t I hear you say to Milo that this is your 20th gym badge?”

“That sounds like an excellent idea, Raihan.” Kabu agreed with the dragon tamer.

“Ehh, sure! Why not?”

The six made their way back to Motostoke, making their way to a small café in the lower part of the city.

(y/n) was sandwiched between Raihan and Kabu, across from Steven, who what sandwiched between the two champion cousins.

“So, Torkoal, what’s your plan for Nessa? She has a type advantage, though I presume Titan would have no problem with her water types.”

“Are you going to break out Ludicolo again?” Steven laughed, remembering the disaster that happened when they were children.

“Oh, I try to avoid using pokemon who are at a disadvantage based on typing. Regardless of if Titan could beat Nessa, I hate seeing him hurt like that. I was thinking of heading to the Wild Area for a day or two, catch a new partner, train it up a little, and go in with a type advantage.”

“Grass-type or Electric-type?” Raihan asked, stuffing his face with curry.

“Electric. While a grass type would be helpful in the long run, especially against Gordie’s rock types, I find them hard to work with. But Electric types have a similar energy and battle style to fire types; Titan and the others will have him up to snuff in no time at all. But that’s all I’m going to say on the matter, can’t give away all of my secrets.”

“Hmm, well, we know your team has a monstrous fire type, a ghost/dragon, and an electric type that may or may not have a secondary typing.” Leon said. “It’s enough to work with for now.”

(y/n) shot a daggered look at the champion, before smiling and laughing.

“So, how do I get ahold of one of those Dynamax bands? I feel like that might be essential to competing in Galar.”

“Oh, you’ll need to find a wishing star first. Then we can go talk to Professor Magnolia.” Raihan said excitedly. The idea of Titan going dynamax filled him with a giddy joy over how terrifyingly powerful he would be. It would be beautiful, and as much as it pained him to think about it, his Duraludon wouldn’t stand a chance, even if he was Gigantamaxed.

The remainder of dinner was filled with jokes, memories, minor flirting, and discussion on battle techniques. It was a good time. By the time dinner was done, it was three hours later, and everyone seemed exhausted.

“(y/n), are you heading out to the Wild Area tonight?”

“Probably. Can’t let anyone get a jump on me. You know what they say, there ain’t no rest for the wicked. Do you want to come Iris?”

“Oh, I’m okay. While I love camping, I love a cozy bed in a hotel more.”

“Mind if I tag along? I’m headed out for Hoenn tomorrow anyway, it’d be nice to catch up and maybe have a battle for old time’s sake.” Steven intervened.

“Only if you use your rock-spotting superpower to help me find one of those Wishing Stars! And who knows, maybe I’ll actually beat you for once!”

“In your dreams!"

“My dreams are your nightmares, it’s a very efficient system.”

Everyone laughed at that. Raihan couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous of the blue haired man.

“I know you can handle yourself but be careful Torkoal. There are a lot of very powerful pokemon roaming the Wild Area; you could end up in some serious trouble if you’re not careful.”

“Sounds amazing! Trouble is my middle name after all.”

“I thought it was y/m/n?” Steven laughed more.

“ANYWAY! I’ll catch up with you three later then!”

The dragon tamer felt a pang in his chest watching her walk away with Steven. Disappointment?

“I’m going to head back to the hotel, I’ll see you tomorrow Leon! Later Raihan! Bye Kabu!” she walked away without waiting for so much as a “bye” from the three men.

“I’ll probably head back to Wyndon, get a workout in before tomorrow. Send me a text if you want a training battle Raihan, seems like we’ll probably need it with (y/n) around.”

“Sounds good, but I’ll probably hang out in Hammerlocke tomorrow. It’s been a pretty wild couple of days. I’ll catch you around.” He was visibly troubled, something that didn’t go unnoticed by the other two men, but they left it alone.

The violet haired man shrugged and headed off in a sprint for the train station, going the wrong direction.

“Should we tell him before he gets too far?” Kabu asked, softly smiling.

“Nah, he’ll figure it out eventually.”


	13. Old Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. This got a much larger response than I was expecting! Thanks to everyone who's reading this, I appreciate the support.  
> I'll try to update more as soon as I'm not drowning in finals! I promise!  
> The amount of swearing is going to pick up.  
> TW: *This chapter has mentions of physical violence/attacks, and discusses scars resulting from it.*

The sun was just beginning to set over Lake Miloch, turning the water a beautiful golden-orange color. Gyarados could be seen in the distance catching Seaking and Goldeen. (y/n) and Steven decided to set up their tents before it got too dark, settling on a place called “Giant’s Seat” according to the map, and staring a campfire with the help of Titan. It was peaceful and quiet, the only sounds being wild pokémon in the distance and their pokémon, goofing off and catching up, enjoying the company of their old friends. But (y/n) was clearly upset about something or other. She had been silent since they entered the Wild Area, despite Steven’s attempts to get her to speak, she was a shell of the happy girl that was just joking around in Motostoke.

“Hey Steven, do you think Yamask actually remember being human?” She stared into the fire, as if it held the answer to her question.

She had caught him off guard after her silence for the last hour and a half.

“I mean, its pokedex entry says: Each of them carries a mask that used to be its face when it was human. Saying that sometimes they look at it and cry. So, I’d assume so. What’s this about?”

(y/n) went silent again, before she got up and went into her tent. Steven heard rustling and then (y/n) reemerged with a luxury ball.

Sitting back down beside Steven, she sighed.

“Well, when I went to Unova, I found this.” She tossed the ball, an abnormally large Yamask emerged.

Steven could hardly believe what he was seeing. It was eerie to say the least. The mask Yamask was holding was the face of (y/n)’s mom, eternally cast in some sort of stone. The ghost squealed happily, floating over to Steven, then stroking his face with one of its cold wispy appendages. It trilled happily and spun in circles. He was frozen in shock.

“I know…” She looked down sadly. “I can’t say I didn’t make it a point to find her, it was on my itinerary for Unova; I had a gut feeling it happened. Mom was a ghost type trainer after all; I remember her telling me how she always wanted to be a pokémon. As a kid I found the story funny, never actually believing it, but enjoying the idea of being a pokémon. But after she died… well, I think she’s the only one still laughing. Though, she definitely seems a lot happier now than she was when we were growing up.”

He let out a shaky breath. As if the last few days hadn’t been wild enough. The yamask floated over to (y/n), holding up the mask in front of its face and did a little floaty dance from side to side. Clearly trying to make her smile.

“Yam… Yamask!” The pokémon called, trying to get her attention.

“Does your dad know about her?”

“He knows that she’s dead… You should have seen the heartbreak on his face when I told him that though. I really don’t know how he’d react to seeing her as a pokémon.”

The large yamask nudged at her arm, holding her tendrils out for a hug, to which (y/n) happily obliged. 

“If you want my opinion on the matter, I think she deserves to see her husband again.” The pokémon in question trilled excitedly, phasing through (y/n)’s arms, and flying swiftly to hug Steven. “And I think she agrees.”

(y/n) just looked back into the fire, pain on her face.

“It’s so weird seeing him again. I was what? 12 when I saw him last? It’s hard just letting him back into my life. I almost don’t want to.”

“He’s the only living family you have left, (y/n).”

“You think I don’t know that?!” She snapped at her friend, causing their pokémon to stop and stare at the two former rivals. “It doesn’t mean it’s easier to accept the reality that is him being in my life again. I hated him for so long, I trained harder because of it; it’s what fueled me to keep getting better all these years, just for that anger to be thrown out the window when I saw him on the field two days ago. I want nothing more than to be his little girl again, to turn back time, but I know that’s not how it works.” She shrank in on herself.

Steven hated seeing his friend like this: conflicted, angry, upset. It bothered him.

“Says who?”

(y/n) looked over to her friend, eyes glassy; confused.

“(y/n), you have the chance to let him be a father to you again if you want. Sure, your anger and hatred may have fueled you this far, but why not take this in stride as an opportunity to find a… you know…healthier motivation?”

“Like what? First, it was being angry I could never beat you in battle driving me forward, then it was powering through losing him, letting my anger work into my battle style, now what? I’ve revolved so much of who I am as a person and trainer around being angry that now that I’m not angry with the world, I’m just angry with myself for getting so absorbed in it.”

There was a nudge at (y/n)’s back; Titan had come over to cuddle, whimpering at her distress. He rested his head in her lap, allowing her to grip at his long fur, burying her face into his mane.

“I don’t think I can give you the right answer on this one. But, for what it’s worth, I think maybe it’s time to just battle for yourself, because YOU want to be better, not because you want to prove a point.”

She sighed and was silent for several minutes, holding Titan close. He could hear her mutter something into Titan’s fur, obviously muffled beyond audible recognition.

“Come again?”

She lifted her head slightly.

“Battle me. You said earlier we would have a battle. For old time’s sake.”

He was surprised but understood. All those emotions running rampant and she wanted to battle. He chuckled.

“If you insist.” He smiled, before his face falling into anxious concern. “You’re not using your mom in battle, are you? I don’t think I’d be able to battle her with a good conscience.”

“No, I haven’t put her in battle since I found her. She just likes to watch.” (y/n) pulled her head up, eyes puffy, the Yamask chirping. “You know, I think I’ve cried more in the last two days than I have in the last 7 years. It’s nice, in a weird way.”

Both called their pokémon back to their pokeballs, finding a nice open space for their battle, away from their camp site and any tall grass, settling on a large clearing in front of the nearby bridge.

“You know, I'm glad I got to see you. Genuinely. I’ve wondered what you’ve been up to all these years. It’s good to see your smile again, I’ve missed you.” He sent out Skarmory, the Steel-Flying type letting out a harsh squawk.

(y/n) didn’t say anything, silently releasing her Raichu, stoic as ever. The Electric-Psychic type turned and gave her a determined nod.

“Raichu! Use Lightning Bolt, then use Thunder Punch mid shock!”

“Skarmory! Use Aerial Ace to get out of there, then use Steel Wing to reflect that Thunder Punch!”

The two pokémon collided in a burst of light, Skarmory narrowly avoiding Raichu’s Lightling Bolt, but unable to reflect her Thunder Punch.

“Use Thunder Punch again, quick!” And doing as she was told, Raichu landed a critical hit on the steel bird, rendering it unconscious.

“You’ve definitely gotten better with your commands, (y/n)! Go Cradily!”

The Rock- Grass pokémon emerged, snapping at Raichu.

“Use Ancient Power!”

“Use Psychic on those rocks!” Raichu missed, and the stones from Cradily hit her in the side, sending her flying into a large stone formation nearby, a small crack appearing.

“Raichu! Get up! Come on!” The pokémon was weak, and she was struggling to stand, but did as was told.

“Again, Cradily!”

Raichu was now down for the count, returning to her pokeball in a beam of white light.

(y/n)’s eye twitched, irritated at her failure.

“Come on, Lucario!” The wolf- like pokémon emerged, letting out a howl.

“Use Low Sweep, then Ice Punch to the head!”

“Cradily, Confuse Ray!”

Lucario sprinted towards the fossil pokémon, taking it’s base out from underneath it. Before Lucario could charge up his Ice punch, Cradily hit him with three orbs of white light; Lucario stumbled backwards before shaking his head quickly, combatting his confusion, and landing the punch on his opponent.

Cradily disappeared into a white light, just like Skarmory. Steven smiled; in a matter of minutes, the girl who used to barely be able to track her own pokemon in battle, had taken down two of his own.

“Let’s go, Armaldo!”

“Big mistake, Steven. It’s like you don’t even remember my team!” (y/n) laughed. “Though, we did learn something new. Lucario! Use Steel Beam!”

The blue fighting- steel type began readying his attack.

“Ancient Power before Lucario, then use Aerial Ace!”

“Watch out Lucario!” Lucario dodged the fossil’s Ancient Power, ultimately releasing the jagged beam of light, hitting Armaldo in the side as it went to begin its next attack, resulting in Aerial Ace failing. Lucario reeled back from the impact, taking damage himself.

“How does a Rock- Bug type even learn a flying type move?! It doesn’t make sense!” (y/n) called out to her opponent, smiling, getting into the swing of the battle. It was times like these that calmed her mind and made her remember all the fun she and Steven had as kids.

“No clue, but that’s not for me to figure out! Use Water Pulse!”

A wave emerged from the lake behind (y/n) and Lucario, crashing into Lucario and pooling around the attacking pokémon.

“Ice Punch that water! Freeze Armaldo in place!”

Lucario responded swiftly, running up on his opponent and punching the ground around him, adding an ice punch to the gut for good measure. Armaldo was quick work after that.

“Use Low Sweep again, then use Dragon Pulse!”

And with that, Armaldo was done for. Steven was visibly irritated at losing three of his pokémon already.

“Great job Lucario, take a break!” (y/n) called her friend back to his pokeball.

“Claydol, go!”

“Come on Banette!”

The puppet pokémon laughed eerily upon release, staring down the large brown clay figure.

“Claydol, use Earthquake!”

“ ‘Nette! Use Phantom Force!”

The ground began to rumble as the ghost type pokemon faded into the fissures being momentarily created.

“Whatcha gonna do ‘bout it?”

Yamask cheered happily on the sidelines. Spinning around and throwing a thumbs up towards her daughter.

“Use Reflect!”

A veil appeared around Claydol right as Banette appeared behind it, pulling it into a deathly hug that severely damaged the Ground-Psychic type, before levitating high above it.

“You know what to do Banette!”

The pokémon emitted another eerie laugh before launching a gigantic purple orb into the top of her opponent. Claydol shook violently from the impact of the Shadow Ball.

“Claydol, Use Ancient Power! Now!” Steven called as Banette made her decent back to earth. Stones tearing into her cloth figure. She reeled back, glaring at her opponent.

“Do all of your pokémon know the same damn move Steven? Mix it up a little, sheesh!”

“Just most of them! It’s a powerful move! Though, I don’t suppose you’d know much about something like that.” He taunted her. She was one of the few people he felt he could be confident and slightly cocky around growing up, and while he momentarily payed for it when he became champion, he never lost that confidence she gave him.

“Oh, you want to see powerful. Try this on for size!” Banette turned to look at her trainer, eyeing the keystone on (y/n)’s necklace that was now glowing under her hand. She laughed and clapped cheerily before being engulfed in a bright pink orb of light, exploding into her mega evolution.

“Banette! Use shadow ball again!”

The paranormal puppet bellowed out a full blown, chaotic laugh now that her mouth was unzipped, sending shivers down (y/n) and Steven’s spines.

“Claydol, Watch out!”

The Shadow Ball that resulted was at least twice the size of the previous one. The clay pokémon tried to dodge, but it was futile. Claydol was hit in the gut with the massive attack, rendering it unconscious.

“So, you want to play dirty huh? How ever will I manage?” Steven laughed sarcastically, but genuinely excited to see the fire in his rival’s eyes; it ignited something inside of him. He had never lost to (y/n), and he really didn’t intend to start now, regardless of if she had a nearly full team, while he only had two pokemon left.

He sent out Aggron.

“Hey, Buddy! Take that overgrown puppet down! Use Thunder to power up your Solar Beam, then let her fly!”

“Banette! Use Payback!” There was little (y/n) could do without a type advantage, but she could make Aggron regret his actions. As Aggron hit Banette with his Solar Beam, she absorbed a significant portion of the damage, though visibly much worse for wear. She unleashed a fury of dark energy towards her attacker, sending him backwards making him slightly dazed.

“Quick Banette! Shadow Ball! Let’s end this!” The ghost type pokemon floated high into the sky once more, before unleashing ghoulish energy upon the Steel-type.

“Use Dragon Breath! Stop that Shadow Ball!”

The two moves unleashed at the same time, making contact in the middle, resulting in a large explosion that sent both pokemon flying: Banette into the same spot on the large stone pillar that Raichu did, and Aggron into the lake. Both pokémon turned into beams of white light, signaling their mutual defeat.

Steven was increasingly irritated to say the least. He didn’t like the idea of losing to (y/n), but with only Metagross left, and witnessing the power of her other pokémon, he prepared for the worst. Though he had to admit, it was a nice change of pace from when they were children.

(y/n) had a glare in her eyes, one of fury and determination. She knew she couldn’t get too confident, despite how the battle was going. Many times, in the past, she had defeated 5/6 of Steven’s pokémon, only for Metagross to decimate her team.

“Titan! Let’s get some payback!” She laughed at her own little joke, a reference to earlier. The gigantic fire puppy appeared, happy as could be.

“Let’s end this the good old-fashioned way Metagross!”

The steel type emerged with a large thud, shaking the ground.

“Extreme Speed into Flame Wheel, Titan!”

“Earthquake, then use Psychic to send Titan into the ground!”

But the two pokémon didn’t move, they just glared at each other for several minutes, ready to attack. The two trainers watched their partners in cautious confusion, careful not to move. Titan growled, not unsimilar to the one from the gym battle. Metagross stomped his feet in return. It became clear this was no longer a battle between (y/n) and Steven, but rather the settling of an old score between Titan and Metagross. Yamask squealed in anticipation.

Titan made the first move, sprinting head-first towards Metagross, who leapt out of the way into the air using his psychic abilities like he weighed nothing. Titan saw his opportunity. Coming to a halt under the half ton pokémon, he shot a Fire Blast up towards the Iron Leg Pokémon, landing a shot right to his underside before dodging out of the way. A critical hit. Metagross screeched in pain, falling back to the earth, causing an earthquake and damaging Titan in the process.

A pink light emerged around Titan, lifting him into the air. He barked angrily, writhing around, trying to escape the invisible power surrounding him. Suddenly he stopped squirming and began spinning. Metagross smashed Titan into the ground using Psychic, a dust cloud emerging from impact. But Metagross wasn’t prepared for a wall of Fire to bolt at him at incomprehensible speeds almost immedietly. Titan had used the time in the Psychic lock to charge his Flame Wheel, and once he was released, there was no stopping him. Titan plowed through the Steel-type, sending him flying into the rockface, just as Banette and Raichu did before him. The rock face shattered, rocks tumbled down on top of Metagross, finally succumbing to the force of the impacts it had withheld. Titan glared at the pile of rubble, waiting in anticipation for his rival pokémon to emerge. A ghastly purple light radiated between the rocks; suddenly rubble was sent flying and Metagross emerged from the pile of stone. He was dented and scorched, nearly beyond recognition, and limping. Titan crouched and barred his teeth, preparing to land a final blow. The steel type stopped and bowed to his opponent.

“Meta-GROSS!” It bellowed, limping over to Steven, who stood in silent shock, and nudged his own pokeball; returning to saftey.

Titan stood proudly watching his old friend retreat, holding that position for a moment before his tail began to wag, betraying his stoicism. Titan turned to (y/n), cracking a huge smile, tongue flopping out of his mouth, before trotting over to his trainer excitedly.

“YOU DID IT BUDDY! WE WON!” (y/n) jumped up and down eagerly, before launching herself at her beloved friend, giving him a well-earned hug and head scratch. Pulling a green pokepuff from her pocket, she tossed it into her partner’s mouth. He swallowed it in one go, only to be disappointed it was gone already.

“I have to say, I knew you had gotten stronger, if your gym battle was any indicator, but it’s immensely different to be at the receiving end of that power. I’m impressed.”

“I’ve been anticipating this day for a long time. Here, I’ll heal your pokémon.” Genuine joy filled (y/n)’s eyes, as she doled out 5 max revives and a hyper potion. Yamask floated over and did another little dance around (y/n).

The two friends laughed and reminisced, sitting around the fire as the sun had finally set.

“You said you leave tomorrow?”

“Unfortunately... Wallace needs someone to act as champion while he’s off dealing with some business. Apparently, Team Aqua really can’t give it a break. But I should be back in a few months for the champion cup! I expect to see you there giving Leon a run for his career.”

“Can I ask you something Steven?”

“Hmm?”

“Why’d you endorse me? ‘Battle style’ Tauros crap aside.”

He just chuckled and looked out over the lake, watching the Chinchou and Lanturn illuminate the water like the night sky filled with stars.

“You absolutely deserve it. That’s why. The Hoenn league would’ve been too easy for you anyway. And Iris said you took the Unova gym leaders and her down in less than two months once you started. You’re impressive to say the very least.” He turned back to his friend. “Now I have a question for you. If you defeated Iris, why aren’t you champion of Unova?”

It was (y/n)’s turn to look away.

“I didn’t want to be, I asked her to keep the title.”

“Oh, that’s Rapidash shit and you know it. You talked for YEARS about being Hoenn’s champion,”

“Which you took out from under me,”

“which I apologized for and you said you forgave me. But that drive doesn’t just disappear once you actually obtain your goal, regardless of if it’s in another region. Especially not with you. So, what gives?”

“You really want the truth?”

“Yes”

“Do you want the whole story, or the shortened version?”

“Which are you more comfortable telling?” He asked his friend, sensing her discomfort.

“Neither, now pick your synopsis.”

“Just tell me as much as you’re comfortable sharing, I guess.”

Mom-Yamask was now floating closer to the pair, wanting to hear what (y/n) had to say, evidently concerned for her daughter, as was Steven. (y/n) closed her eyes tight and clenched her fists, hanging her head in defeat.

“Short version it is. I got… injured… pretty severely when I was walking back to my hotel after I found Mom in Relic Castle, I was passing through the Desert Resort... It was two days after I beat Iris. I was hospitalized for weeks. I couldn’t perform my duties as champion immediately after I was given the title, so it went back to her. I never battled her for the title once I got better either, wasn’t worth the risk. The whole of Unova pretends my reign never happened, I pretend it never happened. Newspaper articles about my win were destroyed, footage of our champion match taken down, literally everything saying I had beaten Iris, and everyone pretty much forgot. The only one who really acknowledges I was champion for a day IS Iris. She pestered me every day for close to three years, begging me to challenge her for the title again. We’d have casual battles to pass the time when we were out adventuring, but not a competitive one. Doesn’t mean the media didn’t catch wind of those battles though. It was weird though, passing it off as “practice” for the “upcoming” championship battle. In reality, I was doing it since I couldn’t bring myself to challenge her again in the league because I was afraid. I was constantly bombarded with reporters and I was constantly looking over my shoulder after that first championship battle... She came up to me about 4 weeks ago in Castelia City, telling me to pack my bags, that we were going on an adventure in a far-off region. She handed me a plane ticket and that’s how I ended up here.”

“Is that how you got those scars on your face?”

(y/n) nodded slowly.

“It’s not just my face though.” She rolled up her sleeves to reveal her forearms, littered with similar bulging scars. She pulled up the side of her shirt, showing the handful of deep long scars on her abdomen, dipping and curving with the rolls of her skin, briefly running her fingers along the welts that had been left behind.

“I have them all over. There’s more, but I really don’t feel comfortable with this.” She rolled her clothes back into place, hiding the marks once more.

Steven was dumbfounded.

“Was it a pokémon or a person?”

She sighed, “Frankly, I would have preferred it if it was only pokémon. At least pokémon can’t talk to you while they slice at your skin.” She pulled her arms close to her body, folding in on herself, making herself as small as possible. She began to shake. Her mom hugged (y/n), not knowing what else to do.

“Yamask, yam-am ask.”

“I’m sorry I have so many questions, (y/n). I just… That’s insane. I’m at a loss for words. Why would anyone do that to someone?”

“Can we change the subject, please?”

Steven sighed. “Of course, I’m sorry… So, what do you want to do about finding that Wishing Star? Do you even know what they look like?”

“Raihan sent me a photo of one, here.” She pulled her rotom phone out of her pocket and opened the chat between the two of them, handing it to Steven.

He smiled, noticing the photo above the Wishing Star.

“Got it. I think I saw a few burst out of the rock that collapsed on Metagross, we can check it out in the morning when we have light… By the way, that’s a nice picture of you. With the pokémon on your head. You have a wonderful smile when you mean it.”

A slight blush rose to (y/n)’s cheeks, a smile threatening to crack, but a distant look still adorned her face.

“Err, thanks. Raihan took it. I love the photo, but it’s just weird seeing the scars and all.” She snatched her phone back from her friend.

“You know. I think he really likes you. He was absolutely starstruck after your battle today, and at dinner you two were real close, not to mention the flirting. And judging by the blush on your face right now, I’d say you really like him too.”

(y/n) hid her face in her hands, getting hotter by the moment.

“He’s just friendly, that’s all. He sees me as good competition, I’m sure.”

Steven laughed at his friend suddenly becoming coy and embarrassed.

“Yeah, okay. Whatever floats your Gogoat… _Princess_.” He couldn’t help but poke fun at the nickname the Dragon-type leader had used for her; something that only furthered his point. She smacked him rather firmly on the arm.

“Shut up. I’ve only known him for two days! It’s just a nickname…” (y/n) couldn’t help but grin at the idea that, maybe, Raihan had feelings for her too.

“Yeah, because dragons like princesses.”

“I’m… I’m going to bed. Goodnight Steven.”

(y/n) bolted up from her seat smiling like crazy and dove into her tent.

“It’s only 9:45!”

Steven heard the small squeal she emitted after the tent was zipped, clearly sounding excited. He just laughed to himself before heading to his own tent, calling it a night, returning all pokemon to their respective balls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like the descriptions of the battles? Is it too much now that they're longer?
> 
> Any and all feedback is welcome!


	14. Leap of Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: *This chapter has depictions of a violent attack on reader. Significantly more detailed injuries.

Raihan had just parted ways with Kabu, deciding to head home through the Wild Area rather than take a taxi. Maybe a walk would help clear his mind. Who was he to think he could stand in the way if (y/n) and Steven were a thing, they were life-long friends after all. And he’d only known her for two days! How was it possible that he had fallen for someone so damn hard in two days? There were plenty of women who would kill for the chance to catch his eye, even to just spend the day with him! But he only had eyes for the fire master’s daughter. He shouldn’t get too invested, right? Afterall, she would probably leave Galar once the Gym Challenge was over, that is, if she didn’t win.

Suddenly, Raihan heard a loud explosion followed by a very loud splash over by Giant’s Seat, snapping him out of his troubled thoughts. He decided to investigate, since someone may be in serious trouble. He took off running when he noticed two tents set up in the distance, and (y/n) and Steven mid battle. He couldn’t just walk up to their camp, that would be really weird, but he really wanted to see how this played out. He sat on the ground next to the raid den with his legs hanging off the cliff edge over the lake. (y/n) sent out Titan, and Steven sent out a? Metagross, was it? Non Galarian pokemon were always a struggle to remember. There were so many, though his new Dratini had to be his favorite of them. Rotom zipped out of his pocket to record the moment.

He heard the two yell something to their pokemon, but they remained motionless. After several minutes, Titan bolted, landing a hit to the other pokemon’s underside. A pink light lifted him high into the air before smashing him full force into the ground.

“That’s gonna hurt…” Raihan winced.

But suddenly, Titan was spiraling towards Steven’s pokemon, sending it flying in a huge fiery blaze into the rock face behind it. A large, and significant, section of the towering formation crumbled from the blow, encasing the opposing pokemon in a rocky tomb. Raihan’s eyes went wide, horrified. That arcanine was definetly going to be a competitive problem in the very near future, though he can’t help but be in love with how effortlessly strong he and his trainer were. The two made a wonderful pair. There was another explosion, and metagross emerged from the debris, accepting defeat. He stopped the recording and stood, he turned and jogged to the bridge towards Hammerlocke, texting Leon.

 ** _Raihan (7:35):_** Leon… You may want to have a look at this.

He attached the video rotom had just captured.

 ** _Leon (7:40):_** I have a handful of questions, one of which being: WHAT THE FUCK?!

 ** _Leon (7:40):_** Please tell me this is a joke Rai.

 ** _Raihan (7:41):_** … I think I may have to take you up on training tomorrow…

 ** _Leon (7:42):_** What are you doing in the Wild Area exactly? Following your future girlfriend around like a creep? 😉 Never exactly took you for the jealous type.

Raihan rolled his eyes.

 ** _Raihan (7:43):_** 😒 For the record, I just left Motostoke. I decided to walk back to Hammerlocke to clear my head and work through a few things when I heard an explosion and decided to check it out. I saw her and Steven battling and decided to watch. Rotom decided to record. Not a creep, thank you very much.

He knew he couldn’t act like he wasn’t jealous of the blue haired man. Leon would expose him in an instant. He knew him too well.

 ** _Leon (7:45):_** Ok, whatever you say. Lol

 ** _Leon (7:45):_** Just ask her out.

 ** _Leon (7:45):_** Wait… Can you IMAGINE that Arcanine dynamaxed?

 ** _Raihan (7:46):_** You think I should? I feel like it’d cause a riot of angry women, and it’d probably be led by Kabu… All my movements with her would be documented because she's a gym challenger...

He sighed. It really did suck sometimes, having to keep up the appearance of being single to keep fans and ratings up. 

**_Raihan (7:46):_** Lol yeah I can imagine. And in every scenario, we’re both fucked. Though I can’t say I’d be disappointed by it, it would be fucking awesome. Come to Hammerlocke tomorrow around 1 if you can.

He anxiously awaited Leon’s reply.

 ** _Leon (7:56):_** So optimistic lol. If you want my opinion, I say screw the fans and the media. Who cares? You deserve to be happy with someone, don’t you? I haven’t seen you this infatuated with someone in YEARS. Plus, even if he was upset about it, Kabu couldn’t stay mad forever, Rai.

 ** _Leon (7:57):_** Check this out though, I’ve been talking to Iris and she just sent it to me. Can’t find anything else on it online though. which has me thinking...

Leon had sent two links, one was a video link, and the other lead to an online article from about three years ago.

 _ **Raihan (7:57):**_ Don't hurt yourself doing that, it's the only muscle you don't work out regularly... 

**_Leon (7:57):_** Haha... 😑 Just watch the video first. Trust me...

Raihan opened the link sent by his rival, confused. On the screen stood Iris in a beautiful pink ball gown and a tiara, facing off with…(y/n)?! Raihan paused the video. She was gorgeous. Not that she wasn't always, but this was on another level. She was in a shimmery, red, knee-length dress, it hugged her torso and chest kindly, and flared out slightly at the waist, fading into a soft orange color, skirt becoming tattered at the end. The billowing sleeves were a sheer fabric lined with crystals, the ends of which had been dyed orange like the skirt. It looked like she was wearing a flame. She was wearing black high-top sneakers, however. While it reduced the elegance of the whole outfit, it added a flare that was her own. Her hair was pulled into a sleek high ponytail, clasped together with a brass ring like the one she wore at the opening ceremony. She gave off an aura of ferocity that was absolutely mesmerizing. But Raihan noticed she didn’t have the scars on her face.

_How recently did those happen?_

An announcer could be heard over the video: “WELCOME UNOVA! Welcome to this year’s championship battle, between our beloved Village of Dragons Queen, Iris!” The crowd went wild. “And weary traveler all the way from Hoenn, (y/n)!” The minimal cheering and clear boos that echoed through the stadium caused a pang through Raihan’s chest. How could anyone boo someone who had made it that far? Much less an entire stadium.

Iris could then be heard, “The Trainers who make it here are Trainers who desire victory with every fiber of their being! And they are battling alongside Pokémon that have been through countless difficult battles! If I battle with people like that, not only will I get stronger, my Pokémon will, too! And we'll get to know each other even better! Brace yourself! I'm Iris, the Pokémon League Champion, and I'm going to defeat you!” The crowd went nuts.

Raihan had barely registered how far he had walked until he noticed the sandstorm surrounding him, hearing the calls of hippopotas nearby, having walking straight into the Dusty Bowl. He tucked his phone back into his pocket for the time being, accepting that he should be watching where he was going rather than watching a pokemon battle while walking, lest he injure himself or run into a wild pokémon.

He walked up the stairs towards his home, taking one last look out over the Wild Area.

Raihan entered his room in the castle/power plant/stadium and immediately removed his hoodie, shirt, and hat. While he loved his uniform, it was always a relief to get out of it or wear normal clothes every once in a while. He walked over to his dresser and grabbed a pair of grey sweatpants, exchanging his shorts for them. He grabbed his phone and plopped down hard onto his king-sized bed, pulling out his rotom phone. He sighed, hearing Iris’s words once more. But the battle was impeccable. (y/n)’s Dragonite was beautiful; a little dopey, but beautiful.

_How does a blue serpent evolve into that?_

It took down Iris’s Hydregon, and Druddigon like it was no one’s business, only to be annihilated by her Lapras. Lapras was quickly defeated by (y/n)’s Raichu, who was defeated by Archeops. The match was intense, and Raihan couldn’t stop watching the beautiful woman handle the battle so gracefully. Soon enough, the only pokemon left were Iris’s Haxorus, and a well beaten up Titan, with Lucario still available to battle.

“Titan! Time to try out that combo! Flame Burst, then hit it with Iron Tail!”

The move was much messier than what Raihan had seen earlier that day, but just as effective. The dragon used Earthquake, and Titan fainted. (y/n) looked heartbroken.

“Lucario! Dragon Pulse! Finish her!”

The pokemon emerged from its pokeball, already charging up a massive wave of energy, unleashing the attack in several short bursts; dodging Haxorus’s attempts at Dual Chop. The dragon fainted. But instead of outrageous cheers like Raihan expected, the stadium was predominantly silent, with minimal applause. It was uncomfortable and awkward to watch.

Iris met (y/n) in the middle of the field. “I'm upset I couldn't win! But you know what? More than that, I'm happy! I mean, come on. By having a serious battle, you and your pokémon, and me and my pokémon, we all got to know one another better than before! Yep, we sure did! OK, your name and your pokémon's names will be recorded in the Hall of Fame so these important things will never be forgotten: That you are an excellent and kind Trainer! That you are considerate toward your pokémon, and you give them your whole heart! That your wonderful pokémon believe in their Trainer with all their hearts, and together you have a strength that knows no bounds! And that you are now the Champion of the Unova region! Yep! Congratulations!”

Raihan didn’t know how to feel. So (y/n) was actually the champion of Unova? Did Iris win her title back more recently? He closed out of the video, questions racing through his head, and opened the web article Leon sent. His heart caught in his throat seeing the headline.

“ _ **New Unova Champion in Critical Condition After Brutal Pokémon Attack in Desert Resort Following Championship Battle, Iris Reinstated.”** _

“Well that answers that…”

He scrolled, the article was brief and quite vague for something so serious. There was an album of photos from the incident at the bottom of the article. Most were of her in the hospital after surgery, with stitches holding her skin together in numerous places, connected to all sorts of machinery. There was a photo of Iris, who had fallen asleep at her bedside, holding her hand, tears evident on the young girl’s face. Iris was a good friend. There were photos of Audino tending to her; he even noticed a small stuffed torkoal on her nightstand in one of the photos, knowing it was from Kabu.

However, there was one photo that made him red with rage, and nauseated. It was of her limp body in the desert sand, bloody and beaten. Her clothes were torn to shreds and covered in bright red blood, no body part being left to the imagination, nor censored. She looked like she was dead. Her skin had lost it’s vibrancy, emphasizing the deep purple bruises and inflamed red gashes that riddled her arms and legs, her lips had a slight blue tinge to them, her nose appeared to be broken, her hair, which had clearly been pulled out of the ponytail it was in earlier, was saturated with crimson blood that soaked into the surrounding sand; there was hardly an inch of skin from the shoulders down that wasn’t sliced open or bruised. The white bone of her sternum was visible from where her t-shirt had been sliced open, as well as her right palm; a laceration ran from her thumb to her pinky. She was staring off to the side, eyes swollen and bruised, tears had carved a path through the dried blood on her cheeks; the scars he recognized were deep gouges in the photo, raw and wide open, with sand sticking to the inner flesh. A dweeble was on her leg, appearing to be chewing at one of the larger wounds.

Raihan began to shake in anger. If he didn’t feel protective of her before, he definitely did now. The wounds were too precise. He wasn't convinced pokemon did this. It made his blood boil thinking about someone hurting her.

He snarled and launched his phone at the wall across the room. Rotom caught itself mid-air a few feet away before it could damage anything or be damaged.

“ _Bzzrt*_ Do you want me to delete the message containing the article?”

It drifted back over towards the dragon tamer who was now sitting up.

“No. I… I just need a minute. Come here.”

He grabbed Rotom out of the air, the pokemon letting out a surprised beep, and texted Leon.

 ** _Raihan (9:13):_** What the fuck?! 🤬 Pokemon attack my ass.

 ** _Leon (9:15):_** Took you long enough. A hoard of sandshrew or trapinch... I don’t think I believe it either. But Iris said she’s been trying to get her to battle for the title again for three years after the incident before she invited her to join the Gym Challenge! She refused every time, saying she was scared to. Sounds like a planned attack and a cover up story if you ask me. Iris doesn’t think much of it though... 

**_Raihan (9:15):_** Did you look through the photos, Leon? No champion title is worth what happened to her if it WAS a planned attack. Even I wouldn’t battle you ever again if that happened to me after I finally beat you…

 ** _Raihan (9:16):_** 👀 Explains why Titan’s so tough, though.

 ** _Leon (9:17):_** ???

 ** _Raihan (9:17):_** Think about it like you’re Titan. The girl who’s been training you for 13 years at that point, was almost brutally murdered by either pokemon or people, or some combination. If that were me, I’d make sure I was strong enough to destroy anything and everything in my way to protect my best friend…

 ** _Leon (9:20):_** That… makes a surprising amount of sense…

 ** _Raihan (9:22):_** Sometimes I make sense

 ** _Leon (9:22):_** Most of the time you’re an idiot.

 ** _Raihan (9:23):_** 😂 At least I don't need an open floor plan apartment so I don't get lost in my own home…

 _ **Leon (9:25):**_ ... fuck off ...

Even though it was old news and she was fine now, he couldn’t help but be concerned. He then realized how much she had really come to mean to him in the last couple of days. He was genuinely jealous of her leaving him with Leon and Kabu in Motostoke to go camping with Steven. But he couldn’t just come out and say, “Hey, I just read an article about what happened after your Unova Championship Battle and really want to hug you right now, regardless of whatever consequences it may have” That would be way too much… for now. He lied back on his bed, scrolling through his social media, thoughts in complete disarray. He opened his photos. There were so many of Dratini, it made him smile thinking about the woman who gave the little guy to him.

“Ah, fuck it. As much as I hate to admit it, Leon’s right. I deserve to be happy. Gotta take a leap of faith sometime, right?” He asked no one, staring at the photo he took of (y/n) when she arrived in Hammerlocke that morning, then sliding to the following one with Dreepy. 

**_Raihan (9:45):_** Hey Princess. Thinking about you 😊

Was this a good idea? It was a big risk, especially not knowing if she had an old flame with Steven. He took a deep breath and typed before he lost his courage.

On the outside he was always cool and collected, playing it smooth. But on the inside, his emotions and thoughts bounced all over the place and when he was alone they often got the better of him.

 ** _Raihan (9:50):_** A wild thought: would you maybe want to grab lunch with me sometime this week?

He fidgeted with his dynamax band, running a hand through his hair, waiting for her reply. 

_What did I just do? I just ruined everything probably. I should’ve waited or not said anything._

He set rotom to the side, rubbing his eyes before staring at the ceiling blankly, arms tucked behind his head. He mentally prepared himself for the inevitable decline of his advance, sure that he had made the worst decision possible. 

_Why am I so anxious about this? I'm usually great with women, why is this so different?_

A few minutes later, rotom dinged. He shot up and grabbed the phone quicker than a Jolteon. His face lighting up at the notification on the screen.

 ** _Princess💗 (9:55):_** How about you meet me in the Wild Area the day after tomorrow? I can make noodle curry or something and you can help me find a Toxel? 😊 I need a few days away from cities I think. I'll take you up on that lunch another time though.

Raihan was beaming. It had been a while since he went out and actually caught a pokémon. His days mostly consisted of training against the wild area pokemon instead. It would be a mini adventure with the most beautiful woman in the world. And a future date guaranteed. 

**_Raihan (9:56):_** Sounds amazing! Bright and early then? To get a jump on the day so you can start training the little guy?

He had to come up with a reason other than just wanting to be around her for more than just an afternoon. That Toxel made an easy scapegoat.

 ** _Princess💗(9:56):_** I could never say no to spending the whole day with you, dragon boy. Can’t wait! 🥰😘

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I'd speed this up, and then wrote two chapters on the same time period, just different perspectives, but I couldn't help it. 
> 
> also: I figured out how to use emojis on my computer, best believe I'm using them in these text conversations.


	15. Author Note

*****AUTHOR'S NOTE*****

Hi everyone!

Sorry this isn't a chapter in our Raihan loving adventure...

This has gotten so much more love and support than I had ever thought it would and I really can't thank everyone enough for bearing with me while I've been M.I.A. on the story! I had some personal situations and emergencies that arose over the holidays that needed to be handled; they caused a fair amount of writer's block, and I've been battling my own demons for the last few weeks.

HOWEVER, I am now working on the next chapter and have a few ideas for some other fics that I'll be posting in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out for those. 

You all are amazing and I appreciate everyone so much.

Much Love, 

⭐Eye_of_Stars⭐


	16. Camping Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M ALIVE! Thank you all for the support while I've been away dealing with personal things. As compensation, I provide a long chapter than ends in smut. ❤ This is my first time trying my hand at smut so bare with me!

The cries of Rookidie and Natu echoed through the canyon, amongst other pokémon, welcoming the morning sun. Light flooded the (f/c) tent pulling (y/n) out of her somewhat peaceful sleep. Camping was never really her thing. Sure, the sleeping pad was thick enough to support her body and kept her mostly comfortable, and her sleeping bag only helped more, but she was still sleeping on the ground. Titan was curled up next to her; paws twitching, and he let out small a*boof* and light growls in his sleep. She gently stroked her sleeping partner’s fur.

Yesterday went by all too quickly, yet still couldn’t have come fast enough in (y/n)’s opinion. Steven was right, the rubble from the previous day’s battle was littered with the obscurely shaped stones filled with Dynamax energy. She grabbed as many as she could; after all, they could be worth something later or do something cool. The remainder of her day with Steven was predominantly helping her train, reminiscing on their childhood, and attempts to persuade her to bring her, now ghostly, mother to see her dad in Motostoke. He even had the audacity to suggest giving her to him. Now that was a thought; it infuriated her in the moment, but it wasn’t something that didn’t weigh on her mind. She would be happier with dad, right? Plus, she wouldn’t be in that damn pokèball for the rest of her life. But that evening was the hardest part; saying goodbye and watching her childhood best friend walk away from her into the bustle of the Galar airport in Wyndon. It was such a short reunion that was years in the making. Suddenly, she felt lost all over again; alone. Just like the day she landed in Unova.

(y/n) pulled herself off of the ground and threw on her hoodie over her thin camisole and flannel pajama pants. She grabbed her wok, some berries, rice and her pokèmon. No sense in waiting to get a start on the day. But as she was opening the zipper, a faint *ding* came from somewhere in the tent and a small bump under her sleeping bag began to move frantically, before the shiny, red pokè-phone emerged.

 ** _Dragon Boy (8:20):_** Morning Princess! Hope you’re awake! I’m making my way through the Wild Area already, where are you set up?

(y/n) began grinning like an idiot.

 ** _(y/n) (8:22)_** **:** Morning to you too, Dragon Boy. I’m about to start making breakfast curry if you want me to save you some.

 ** _(y/n) (8:22)_** **:** Uhh, I’m by a small lake just north of the bridge to the Motostoke Outskirts.

 ** _Dragon Boy (8:23)_** **:** Breakfast sounds amazing. See you soon😉

She tucked her phone into her hoodie pocket as butterfree erupted in her stomach. She attempted to leave the tent to set up her cooking gear as quietly as possible but as she watched the sleeping Pokémon while she unzipped the tent, she ended up tripping over the small zippered lip to the door, failing in her efforts to let Titan sleep longer. Berries and pokèballs scattered everywhere, her wok landed neatly next to last night’s fire and her fire fan was now crushed beneath her. She sighed as she heard the groan of her best friend and shaking of fur.

“Sorry buddy. I tried to be quiet.”

She pushed herself up and looked back at the towering Pokémon standing behind her, watching her with a tilted head, confused.

“But now that your awake, would you mind helping me with breakfast?”

At the promise of food, Titan’s tail began to wag as he trotted over (y/n), out of the tent, and lit the usable wood from the fire, sitting happily next to it, watching (y/n) again expectantly.

The curry had barely been finished and (y/n) had just pitched Aisling, her Dreepy, like a baseball for the 20th time since she began cooking when Titan excitedly began barking at something in the distance. Turning her head, she saw, lo and behold, the culprit causing the outburst was none other than Raihan trekking through the tall grass. He waved excitedly, still a fair distance away. (y/n) waved back, slightly hesitantly and sighed.

_When he said ‘See you soon’ I didn’t think he meant like 15 minutes…_

“I still look like the dead, don’t I Titan?”

The fire-type let out a small huff in reply.

“Thought so.” She dropped the ghost-dragon and ducked back into the tent. She scrambled to brush her hair and find suitable clothes, finally settling on light blue jeans and a hoodie with a Gengar on it.

“Morning beautiful, sleep well?” Raihan’s cool voice came from outside as Titan barked again.

(y/n) popped her head out of the tent, “Morning! I slept fine, I guess.”

As she emerged from the tent, Raihan pulled her into a huge hug. She wasn’t expecting it, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to complain or question it. She wrapped her arms around his torso, tucking her head into his chest and taking in his scent briefly: slightly reminiscent of burnt paper, dirt, and cedar.

“I came running once I caught scent of that curry!” He laughed.

“There’s plenty for everyone! Then, it’s Toxel hunting time!”

The two trainers pulled away, slightly reluctantly, something that didn’t go unnoticed by either of them. They just stared into each other’s eyes for a few moments, not quite hugging, but not ready to let go just yet. Raihan opened his mouth to say something when a small *boof* came from near the curry pot, catching their attention as Titan nudged it impatiently, glaring at the two of them.

(y/n) sighed. “Yeah, yeah.” She trudged over towards the gigantic puppy and began dishing up the curry for her Pokémon, herself, Raihan and his Pokémon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“(y/n), I really think we should call it a night. It’s not the best idea to be out here at night without a tent set up or fire going.”

“But there has to be one around here somewhere! Give me 10 more minutes Raihan.”

The dragon type gym leader was getting anxious. He was constantly looking over his shoulder and walking slower once the sun had set, watching his feet.

“(y/n), please. We can try again in the morning when we can see where we’re going.”

(y/n) stood and turned around to face the teal-eyed man. Although minimally illuminated by her flashlight, she could see that he was very visibly concerned. She sighed and deflated.

“I was really hoping to have my Toxel evolved in the next couple of days so I could battle Nessa at latest mid-next week. That’s not going to happen is it?”

Raihan gave her an empathetic look. “Maybe not with a Toxtricity. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still try to get you one. But if you really want to take Ness on as soon as possible, you know you can use Raichu right? It may be a regional variant, but it’s still a Raichu.”

“Let’s just set up camp.” (y/n) put her flashlight in her mouth, holding it with her teeth, and slung her bag off her back to retrieve her camping gear, as did Raihan. A few moments passed before:

“Shit.”

“Whaa?” (y/n) looked up from her bag.

“I think I forgot my tent in Hammerlocke. It’s been a long time since I’ve needed it. I figured it was still in my pack.” He looked up at the woman in front of him sheepishly.

“ ish -ine. No ig deal. -e cn shur a ten. Ders leny a room.”

Raihan laughed and waked over to help (y/n) set up her tent.

Once camp was set up, the two sat close around the campfire. (y/n) had her eyes trained on the clouds roll across the starry night sky, while Raihan couldn’t help but steal glances and smile at the woman next to him, her hair blowing slightly with the minimal breeze running through the Wild Area.

“Beautiful.”

“Yeah.”

She was talking about the sky; he was talking about her. (y/n) caught him staring at her out of the corner of her eye and couldn’t help but smile more. Thank goodness it was dark, and her blush could remain undetectable.

“You know, I always loved the stars. No matter where you are, what region you’re in, what you’re doing, you’re always watching the same sky.”

She turned to face him. “Thanks for staying out here with me tonight.”

He gave her a curt nod and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close. She blushed harder as she rested her head on his chest, butterfree erupting in her stomach once again.

“Wouldn’t change it for the world.”

They sat in silence for several minutes listening to the different cries of the nocturnal Pokémon around them, savoring the heat coming off of the other. Raihan glanced down at the woman cuddled up to him, the scars running across her face were eerily highlighted from the campfire. He ran his thumb back and forth over her shoulder, pulling her in tighter.

“Raihan?”

“Hmm?”

She paused and sighed, “Do you think it’s wrong for me to be using my team from past gym adventures? Like I have an unfair advantage?”

Well, he wasn’t expecting that… He blinked a few times, trying to gather a good, thoughtful response.

“I mean, if you work well together, why wouldn’t you use them this time around? Just because you’ve got a little more experience, doesn’t mean it’s unfair. Everyone else just has to get on your level if they want to have a chance this year. Why?”

She pulled away from his chest to look up at him, resting a hand there.

“Can I tell you something that maybe a handful of people know?”

He nodded.

“I, uh, I had most of this team when I was champion of Unova about three years ago. I was only champion for two days though, it’s…it’s a long story. But because I have a champion team, I feel like I have an unfair advantage over the rest of the challengers.” She sighed before she continued, averting her gaze back to the sky,

“I had a battle with Steven before he left, and it made me realize just how far they’ve all come since then too, especially Titan. I’m proud of them, don’t get me wrong, it’s just… I don’t know.”

It was Raihan’s turn to sigh,

“If you want my honest opinion, using a majority of your old team just means you’re going to make quick work of Leon at the end of all of this. As much as I absolutely hate to admit it, I have a really hard time believing it’s going to be me beating him in the final battle this year.”

“I don’t think I even want to be champion; I’d probably throw the match.”

She looked at Raihan, who stared at her bewildered,

“I just couldn’t stay in Unova and this was an opportunity to leave. When I became champion last time, it seemed like everyone, except Iris, hated me. Like when I went out to the desert resort a few days after and I…” She trailed off and gazed into the fire, a distant look weighing heavy in her eyes. “I’m sorry for just unloading this on you, we’ve known each other for less than a week, I don’t need to be divulging into all of that.”

He sighed and squeezed her shoulder.

_I want to tell her I know, but that’s probably not going to end well._

“I don’t care if it’s a week or 20 years, I’m all ears if you’re comfortable telling, Princess.”

She just shook her head and curled back into Raihan’s side. Tears reflected the light of the fire as one or two rolled down her cheeks. He pursed his lips; the last thing he wanted was to see her cry. He shifted slightly and pulled her into his chest tighter. He reached across with his other hand to cup her cheek, using his thumb to wipe away her tear that ran over the rough keloid that graced her skin, briefly lingering there before he rested his hand on her thigh. She smiled lightly.

“I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to apologize for, Princess.”

At that, she wrapped her arms around his midsection. The crackle of the fire almost drowned out their surroundings in that moment. Raihan closed his eyes and smiled, resting his chin on her head for a few minutes before he had an idea. He pulled back and observed the (h/c)-haired woman.

“Do you want to know how Leon and I became friends, not just rivals?”

She craned her neck and looked up at him and nodded.

“It was my second Gym Challenge. Uh, Leon and I were the last two challengers in the Semifinals. Our battle had been postponed until the following day for some reason or another, and I had decided to come out to the Wild Area and set up camp. It was late and snowing a little, but I kept pushing one battle after the next until it was almost pitch-black outside, and I could hardly feel my fingers or feet. I’ll admit, I was being irresponsible and dumb, no surprise there really; I wasn’t dressed for the weather, all of my Pokémon had fainted except for Duraludon, who was barely hanging on, and I didn’t have any revives or potions on me. I was trying to scout out a good spot to call it quits and set up camp and cook something for my Pokémon when I kicked something, and it crunched beneath my foot. I didn’t know what it was, so I kept moving. Figured it was a weird rock or something. About 10-15 minutes later, a Pokémon screeched behind me, making me nearly jump out of my skin and suddenly, a searing pain is coming from my left arm. I turned around and was met with a Weavile licking my blood off of its claws. That thing I kicked was probably its egg.”

(y/n) sucked in a sharp breath and shifted upright, listening to Raihan more intently.

_Well, this isn’t going where I thought it was._

“It lunged at me, slicing my shoulder when I tried to run, but I didn’t have any other options. One more hit would have knocked out Duraludon even if I sent him out, and then what? I’d be back in the same position. So, I bolted, not my smartest move since they’re _fast_ , but I ended up a healthy distance from the Weavile. The light snow had kept getting stronger and stronger until I could hardly see my hand in front of my face. I stopped to catch my breath for a second when, out of the pitch-black, snowy, abyss around me, a Sneasel rushed me and got my other arm. The attack gave that Weavile time to catch up and got me in the left arm again. At this point, my hoodie’s in shreds, my hands and arms were covered in blood, and all I could do was yell and hope there was someone camping close enough to hear me over the wind. I kept trying to run, kicking the two Pokémon off of me when they would lunge, but at one point I tripped and landed on my face. I figured they were going for the kill when I heard their metal claws running together and a deafening screech getting closer. There was a _loud_ roar from in front of me and suddenly the grass around me was lit up like it was noon and the air got nice and toasty. I look up and there’s little ol’ Leon behind Charizard who was torching Sneasel and Weavile. Once they were taken care of, Leon came rushing over to me and helped me up.”

He chuckled and shook his head, “he said to me ‘You know, If I hadn’t gotten lost beyond my wits out here, you might be dead’ I told him ‘That’d be unfortunate; means I wouldn’t get a chance to see your face when I win tomorrow.’ We both had a good laugh and I explained everything to him. Neither of us realized how much blood I had lost until I passed out pretty soon after. Woke up in the Pokémon Center all bandaged up and Leon chilling in the corner practically inhaling steamed dumplings. When he noticed I had woken up, he just stuck his arm out with like two dumplings left in the container, and with a full mouth, was like ‘want one? Battle’s in three hours.’ It was kind of gross. I rolled my eyes, smiled, gave him the finger, and we’ve been friends ever since.” He shrugged.

“Mew… That’s horrible! You still battled after all of that? I wasn’t even able to pick up a pokeball after I was attacked, much less think about battling three hours later.”

“I wasn’t about to forfeit the match. When I lost though, the Hammerlocke gym leader asked me if I wanted to train under him for a while and take his place for the next gym challenge. I agreed on the condition I could wear a hoodie over my uniform during any of my matches. Worked out pretty well in my opinion.”

He pulled his arm from around (y/n)’s shoulders and gave her a questioning glance. She nodded, eyes focused on his arms as he rolled up his hoodie sleeves; the pale scars proved a stark contrast against his dark skin, peeking out just below his elbow, retreating up his bicep normally hidden under the hoodie. He hunched forward, resting his arms across his thighs, gauging (y/n)’s reaction. She was closed in on herself, arms crossed over her abdomen and she was pulling at her hoodie sleeve, massaging her own arm, lips parted slightly as she just stared at his scars. When she finally spoke up, her voice was meek and shaky.

“H-how long did it take for them to fade like that?” She pulled her eyes away to meet Raihan’s teal ones. He quirked his mouth into a half smile.

“A while. That happened coming up on 10 years ago. They were pretty bad for about 5 years before they started to get any better. They add character if you ask me.”

She hummed and nodded slightly, giving his arms one last glance before wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug and mumbled into his shoulder.

“It’s nice knowing they’ll fade someday. Thank you.”

He rolled his sleeves back down and gently rested a hand on her thigh.

“It is what it is. And really, you just have to figure out how to feel at home in your skin again, though I’m sure you kind of knew that.”

As she released Raihan from her hug, (y/n) planted a small kiss on his cheek before watching the fire again, chewing on the inside of her lip slightly, almost as if nothing had happened. She screeched internally; her heart was pounding in her chest at her unconscious post-hug reaction.

_WHY DID I DO THAT?! FUCK_

His ears perked up a little and his characteristic wolfish grin found its way onto his face again. He ghosted his hand up her thigh, causing her to shiver slightly, as he moved to hold her by the waist. He then caressed her jaw and held her chin gently, guiding her so she was looking at him; she gazed into the dragon tamer’s eyes for a moment before he glanced down to watch as he slowly ran his thumb across her bottom lip, gently pulling it from between her teeth, before meeting her intense gaze again.

“You missed.”

In one swift motion, he slid his hand to the back of her neck and captured her lips with his own. She immediately melted into the kiss, returning her arms to wrap around his neck. He was the first to deepen the kiss, pulling his lips away slightly, just to kiss her again, over, and over, which she gladly reciprocated. There was a hunger between them that neither had fully realized had been being neglected until now. (y/n) grazed a fingernail from the top of his spine up his neck before tangling her fingers in his dreads. He let out a delicious moan before grabbing her hips and pulling her onto his lap, so she was straddling him. He massaged her hips gently for a while, enjoying the feeling of her plush skin beneath his fingers.

She smiled into the kiss, running her tongue along his bottom lip and tugged at his hair slightly. He emitted an almost predatory growl and broke this kiss just enough to speak, his lips still grazing hers as he spoke.

“You’re playing with fire, Princess.”

He kissed her again with more intensity, pulling her bottom lip in between his teeth as he backed off again, looking her in the eyes, pupils blown wide with desire

“Isn’t that the point?”

She leaned in and grazed her lips against his, running her tongue across his lip once more before fully kissing him again and playfully grinding her hips down into his lap. She was absolutely a treat; his heart must’ve skipped a beat or two at her movement. His grip on her tightened as he dug his thumbs tantalizingly hard into her hip bone in response. Tongues tangled quickly and messily as they fought for dominance within the make out session, Raihan eventually winning as his hands guided her movements against him. Her grip on his hair tightened as he languidly moved his hands to her ass and lower back, gently pushing her hoodie up just enough to trace his cold fingers across her bare skin in the process. She continued to grind down teasingly onto his growing erection.

Suddenly, lust overtook any logical thought processes and Raihan flipped them over, so she was beneath him. Her back hit the ground with a resounding thud and her grip lost in the surprise movement; she wrapped her legs around his waist instinctively. The dragon tamer saw an opportunity. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head with one hand as he pressed his clothed member into her crotch. He broke the kiss and looked down at the beauty beneath him, a mischievous glint in his teal eyes, the two of them panting heavily trying to catch their breath. Her hair was splayed out beneath her, and Raihan wanted nothing more than to just tear her jeans off right then and there and fuck her into next week. But this, seeing her disheveled and flustered beneath him, was a game that was too fun to stop playing now.

He leant in next to her ear, his words hot on her skin,

“You know (y/n), you really shouldn’t start something you won’t be able to finish.”

The way her name rolled off his lips made her shiver; his voice was so smooth and filled with pure unadulterated lust, only for her. A small swell of pride washed through her at the idea that she had made Raihan of all people want her like this.

He pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her neck, eliciting a soft moan from her slightly swollen lips, before watching her again.

“Who’s saying I don’t intend to?” She smirked up at the man on top of her. “Though, we should move this to the tent.”

But Raihan made no attempts to move, if anything, the grip on her wrists tightened as he kissed her again. His free hand played with the bottom of her hoodie again, inching it up slowly before finding the bare skin of her sides. She shivered slightly, his hands were cold in comparison to the heat radiating off her torso, only adding to the sensory overload. He kissed across her cheek, down her jaw, before attacking her neck. Hearing her moans as she tried to free herself from his grasp was all too sweet.

“Ngh, Raihan, come on!” She said as she squirmed beneath him.

“What was that?” He smirked against her skin, pressing into her crotch more as he kissed down towards her collar bone.

She let out an exasperated sigh that developed into a small moan as Raihan shifted; the heat between her legs was intoxicating and made her mind go fuzzy, and his large length humping into her wasn’t helping the predicament (y/n) was finding herself in.

“I’m not one to beg, Rai.”

He chuckled darkly against her collarbone, “We’ll see about that, Princess.”

Raihan released her wrists, pressing one last kiss to her lower neck before standing, admiring the small purple mark forming just above her collarbone, illuminated by the dying fire next to them. He extended a hand down to help her up. Her legs were shaky, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into yet another kiss as her hands landed on his chest; he brought his hand to play with her hair, giving it a small tug much as she did earlier, pulling a small moan from her into the kiss. He pulled back, still reluctant to let her go, but a more serious look crossed his sharp features, pupils still blown wide with lust as he gazed into her (e/c) eyes, searching for any sign of regret or wariness.

“Do you actually want to do this?”

She smiled at the genuine consideration behind his question. Even in the heat of the moment, Raihan was still so considerate. She nodded, biting her lip again.

He smiled mischievously, “Tch, I want to hear you say it. Tell me how badly you want this.” He slid a hand down give a light squeeze to her ass as he pulled her in closer so she could feel how hard his length strained against his shorts, how much he wanted her.

Her voice was hardly above a whisper, as if she spoke too loudly, someone other than Raihan would hear her out in the middle of the wilderness, in the dead of night. She gazed up at him with innocent eyes.

“I want you more than I want to breathe right now. I want to feel you inside of me, sinking into me over and over again until my mind goes numb and your name falls off my lips like a prayer because it’s the only word I know.”

She felt Raihan’s dick twitch against her lower abdomen at her confession. Raihan bit his lip as he smiled, short fang peeking out; his expression shifted from serious to one reminiscent of a Theivul who had a Wooloo cornered, a predator who had finally trapped its prey.

“I think that can be arranged…” He grabbed her jaw with two fingers, “Though, you may regret your choice of words.”

He ushered her into the tent, hand resting on her lower back as he followed close behind, zipping the tent behind them and kicking his shoes off, placing them next to hers. A small lantern hanging from the roof acted as the only light between them. He closed the distance between them in one stride, pulling her into a hungry kiss as he tossed his headband somewhere. She slowly dragged the zip of his hoodie down as he shrugged it off and only broke the kiss to hastily peel his uniform top from his body, exposing his well-toned chest and abs, along with the pale scars that striped his biceps and up his shoulders. (y/n) traced her fingers along them breathlessly, before pulling him back into a kiss filled with passion and gratitude. Raihan grabbed the bottom of her hoodie, tugging at it lightly. She tensed slightly against his body, stalling in the kiss. A light, reassuring squeeze to her hip pulled her out of her head as Raihan pulled back and sent her a small smile. She swiftly lifted the hoodie off over her head, camisole in tow and heard Raihan let out a small gasp.

Raihan figured the scars would be bad based off of the photo he saw, and her statement from earlier about ‘knowing they’ll fade’, but nothing could have genuinely prepared him to see the results of her attack in person. Her (s/c) skin was littered with pale scars, some worse than others, some almost fully having dissipated, but his eyes unintentionally transfixed on the red, lightly-keloidal, mark that extended between her breasts about 5 inches. He pulled his gaze from her chest. She had her eyes clenched shut, facing away from him, anticipating some form of rejection. He pulled her into a gentle hug and kissed her head.

“Let me know if you want to stop at any point, beautiful. But I plan on worshipping you tonight.”

He began slowly pressing kisses to every inch of exposed skin he could get his mouth on, every scar he could see. He started at her shoulder and gently running his hands up and down her sides. She slowly began to melt into his touch once more, bringing her hand to play with his hair as he slowly worked his way down. He planted a kiss to the top of each breast, glancing up at the woman standing in front of him as he reached his hands around to rest at the clasp of her bra, swiftly undoing it and gently ushering the undergarment from her shoulders. He pulled one of her nipples into his mouth and began to suck gently, rolling the other between his fingers. The moan that ensued lit a fire in the dragon tamer’s groin as her head lolled back, relishing in the feeling. If his mouth wasn’t preoccupied, he would have been smirking smug as could be. He bit down gently and rolled it between his teeth, lapping at the bud, ripping a gasp from her throat before giving the other the same treatment. He released the swollen bud, pressed a kiss to the bottom of the scar between them, and began slowly dragging his tongue up the length of it. He was careful, watching her reactions for any apprehensions to his actions, but when the moan of his name reached his ears, something snapped.

Raihan dropped to his knees before (y/n), kissing down her stomach as he went, and undid the button at the top of her jeans. He pulled the zip down slowly and pulled her jeans and underwear off in one fell swoop, peppering her thighs with kisses, migrating slowly towards her core. Before he could tease her anymore, she dropped to her knees, pulling him into a hungry make out session. She ran her fingertips under the band of his shorts and briefs, causing him to shudder slightly before an utterly erotic moan escaped his lips as she massaged his shaft through his shorts and began showering his chest with small love bites. If Raihan wanted to fuck her into last week earlier, he wanted to absolutely destroy her now. He pushed her back rather roughly onto her back before stripping himself of the constraining material, hissing at the cold air hitting his already leaking tip.

She had propped herself up on her elbows, watching him with parted lips and hungry eyes as his member sprung free, hitting his stomach. He parted her legs and crawled over her, placing a chaste kiss to her lips as he then began slinking down her body once again. He made his way down to her heat and hooked his muscular arms under her legs, holding onto her thighs; he watched her face with lust blown eyes as he kissed her inner thighs slowly. (y/n) squirmed impatiently and tried to thrust her hips towards where his mouth would land next, whimpering as each kiss got closer to where she needed him, but never landing on her dripping heat. Raihan chuckled and clasped his fingers together over her abdomen, holding her down.

“Want something, Princess?”

She moaned, “Raihan, stop teasing.”

He placed a kiss directly above her clit, before coming up and flashing her a toothy grin.

“So demanding, love. It’s so fun watching you squirm, why should I stop?”

He dipped back down and gave a harsh bite to her inner thigh before licking the wound, causing her back to arch and a loud gasping moan to fill the air around them. She whimpered and covered her face with her arms as she grabbed at her hair and lied back, letting out a shaky breath.

“Look at you, so needy; you’re already dripping.” He bit the junction between her thigh and labia, “It’s one word, Princess. Come on.”

He went back to kissing around where she wanted him, trying desperately to hold himself back from giving up his little game and lap up the juices coming out of her.

“Raihan, please. Fuck. Please just—”

The second that second ‘please’ escaped her lips, he languidly drew his tongue up her slit, savoring the taste of her before going to work on her clit. Her hand immediately went to grab his hair as a sensual scream left her lips. He moaned at the feeling, the vibrations sending her reeling. He ate her like a man starved, flicking his tongue back and forth over her and sucking on her clit, occasionally dipping his tongue inside her. The mewls that left her lips was intoxicating music to his ears, he wanted nothing more than to hear her like this forever. He unclasped his hands and brought one down to her heat, slowly giving one last tongue fuck before latching onto her clit, and inserting a finger inside of her, curling it up into her. The grip on his dreads tightened as she pressed his face harder into her as her back arched and she writhed more beneath him. He dipped a second finger into her tight entrance, and fucked her slowly, pulling her closer and closer to climax.

“Raihan, oh fuck. More, I need more. Please, I’m so close.”

He quickened his pace with his fingers, detaching himself from her clit and sitting upright to stroke himself as he watched her come undone, feeling her clench around his fingers as she squirmed.

Her eyes fluttered open after her orgasm, only to see Raihan licking her juices from his fingers as her heart pounded in her chest.

He crawled up her body and kissed her roughly. Tasting herself on his lips was odd but not unwelcome. She pulled a hand between them and began stroking his length, twisting her wrist and occasionally running a thumb over his slit to spread his precum. His breathing became ragged before he grabbed her wrist and pinned it to her side. He looked down into her eyes as he pulled away to catch his breath.

“Mew, (y/n). I… Fuck. You ready?”

She nodded eagerly. Her eyes heavy from her last orgasm not too long ago.

He pumped his length between her lips, brushing up against her clit, spreading her slick over himself. Suddenly he paused.

“Uhhh, one second.” He reached over to his pack and riffled though it for a few moments before emerging with a small foil disc decorated like a pokeball. He tore it open with his teeth and slid the condom over his length with ease. She laughed, and he turned back to her slightly confused.

“What?”

She rolled her eyes, “You just so happen to leave your tent in Hammerlocke, and just so happen to have condoms with you. Real smooth.”

He chuckled. It really did seem like he had planned this didn’t it?

“I promise the tent was an accident, and I always have one for… uh… emergencies? This was not my intent when I came out here, though I’m not complaining.”

“Whatever you say, Dragon Boy.”

He leaned down to kiss (y/n) again, running his cock between her lips again before reaching down to align himself and sinking into her slowly. They groaned in unison. Raihan was the perfect size, just large enough to stretch her comfortably and feel completely full. She thrust her hips up slightly after a moment. Raihan kissed her neck as he began to fuck into her slowly, his light moans sending electricity up (y/n)’s spine as she dragged her nails down his back with each thrust.

“Raihan,” She moaned breathlessly, “I need more of you. I’m not fragile, promise.”

He didn’t have to be told twice. He shifted his weight to one arm planted next to her head as he began rough pace, the sound of skin vigorously slapping skin and lewd squelches drowned out by moans and pants. Her face twisted in pure bliss as she dug her nails into his arm and shoulder/upper back and planted her feet to hold her hips up slightly so he could get a better angle.

Out of nowhere Raihan pulled out and rose back to his knees, causing (y/n) to whimper at the sudden loss of the full feeling of having him inside of her. He grabbed her waist and flipped her over and pulled her hips up to meet his, sliding easily back into her, returning to his forceful pace, pulling yet another sensual moan from her lips. He was in heaven watching as her pussy gripped him every time he began to pull out, feeling the way she squeezed him every time he bottomed out, hearing her moan and mewl as he ran his fingers delicately over her spine, only to grab pull her hair roughly. He planted a rough smack to her ass every once in a while, enjoying the way the plush skin rippled and watching the red handprint form across her cheeks. The way his name fell from her lips, begging for him like she said she wouldn’t, made his mind go foggy; he would do anything to hear her like this every day.

He bent over and spoke into her ear, his voice raspy and sensual: “My Princess. My beautiful Princess…”He bit the shell of her ear, “I have every intention of fucking breaking you.” He placed a gentle kiss to her neck, causing her to whimper again. He brought one arm under her armpit and rose back to his knees, bringing her with him, and wrapped his hand around her throat as her lead lolled back onto his shoulder, squeezing the sides so as not to crush her windpipe, as he bit harshly down on the crook between her neck and shoulder. She brought one of her arms to the back of his neck, digging her nails into the base of it, moaning her lover’s name. He brought his other hand down to play with her already sensitive clit, pulling a surprising orgasm from her. The way she clenched around him with her climax almost sent him over the edge. Her body began to shudder as his ministrations continued to work her beyond her peak and his grip on her throat tightened. He smiled to himself as he watched her eyes go cross and roll back, her arm going limp around him, her mouth hanging slack as she breathed raggedly with the occasional call of his name slipping past. She _did_ say she wanted him to fuck her until her mind went numb after all.

He removed his hand from her throat to hold onto her breast, pinching her nipple and holding her against him as he fucked into her fast and hard until he reached his own peak, thrusts becoming erratic and a long groan falling from his lips as he spilled into the condom. He stilled inside of her, both parties breathing raggedly. She lazily pulled her hand from around Raihan’s shoulder as he shifted and pulled out of her.

She was barely able to support herself as she leaned forward and lied down on her stomach, pulling her arms up under her head. Raihan chuckled and removed the now full condom, tied it closed and got up, grabbing a paper towel from the cooking supplies next to them in the small tent and wrapping it in it, grabbing a second, and then two bottles of water from his pack. He cracked one and wet the towel, moving to sit next to (y/n). He took a swig of the open water and nudged her thigh gently.

“I know you’re sensitive, but I’m going to clean you up. Okay, Love?”

She hummed quietly and parted her legs slightly. He folded the paper towel and pressed it to the bite marks he left, cleaning her inner thighs first before gently running it from her clit across her labia. She let out a small whimper from her overstimulation at his action, shifting slightly meekly attempting to get away as he did a second pass. He wiped the mat beneath her, tossed both paper towels into the small trash bag she had brought with her, and pulled a blanket from his pack. He massaged where he spanked her gently in hopes it would make her less sore in the morning. She flipped to her back as Raihan lied down next to her, covering the two of them with the blanket, and cuddled into his side and closed her eyes, pressing a kiss to his pec. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped her in a hug, mumbling sweet nothings and praises into her hair.

“How are you feeling, Princess? You should try to take at least a sip of water if you can.”

He opened the other water for her, taking another sip from his own.

“ ‘m a little sore… Tired…” She lazily took the water from him, mumbling a small “thanks” before sitting up a little and downing half the bottle.

“I’m sorry if I was too rough. I should’ve asked about the choking.”

She laughed breathlessly, “I never said it was a bad thing, Dragon Boy. Mew, it was perfect.” She set the water aside and kissed him weakly on the lips, curling back into his side.

Raihan tucked an arm around her, holding her close, and tucking the other hand behind his head, silently thinking about where to go from here. 

_Do I ask her to be my girlfriend now? Or should I wait until we go on an actual date? I don’t want her thinking I want this to be a casual thing. Mew, she’s perfect. I can’t pass this up. Fuck everyone else, I’ll deal with every repercussion in the world if it means I can hold her like this forever._

“Hey, (y/n)?”

But when he didn’t hear a response, he glanced down at her and noticed her breathing had slowed and her eyes were closed. He smiled at the sleeping beauty resting on his chest lovingly.

“You’re absolutely beautiful, scars and all. No one will ever hurt you again as long as I’m around, that’s a promise.” He kissed her hair again before closing his eyes, feeling her adjust slightly and hugging him closer, falling quickly into a deep sleep.

Little did he know, (y/n) hadn’t quite fallen asleep and heard every word. Whether he knew exactly what his statement meant to her, she had yet to know, but the sentiment meant the world as she drifted off, grateful for Raihan’s presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters may be a little slow to appear as I have school and am still working through personal matters, but I will do my best to not let it be as long of a gap between chapters from here on out!


	17. LIFE UPDATE: I"M NOT DEAD

okay, SO  
Everyone has been super patient with me and my happenings in life and now that I have answers and my computer back, I want to give Y'all answers on why I fell of the face of the earth for like 5 months. 

In January, my dad fell ill. We were told it was just a weirdly mutated strain of strep throat and he'd be fine. He recovered mid February. I fell ill with that same strain of "Strep" over my spring break in March. Well, it turns out, that was no strain of strep throat. It was actually the Coronavirus. I've been in and out of the hospital since early April and been on a plethora of testing medications that have absolutely drained me. Theres been no drive to write while i've been battling this virus. BUT, I'm largely okay now and (unfortunately) going back to work against what I think is wise. But I gotta pay my bills somehow. Luckily I work outside and I can social distance from the other employees. 

I have about half of the next chapter written; I just have to get back into my groove. Thanks for the support of my story everyone, I'm doing my best not to let you guys down.

Stay healthy everyone!

Eye_of_Stars


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